# Felix Schlegel ![Felix Schlegel](/resources/cognition/portraits/felix-schlegel.webp) Poke The Interaction Company of California San Francisco, California, United States ## At Cognition - Role: Co-Founder (Leadership) - Joined: 2024 - How they joined: With Poke (https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/acquisitions/poke) - Before Poke: Software Engineer Intern, Apple - Overlapped before Cognition with other Cognition people at: TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V (https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/worked-together) ## Identity - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixmschlegel - X: @felixms ## Notes - Felix Schlegel announced he is joining Cognition. Quote: "excited to join @cognition!" (https://x.com/felixms/status/2080323635206914090) - J A Z I I congratulated Felix Schlegel and Cognition and asked whether, as a Devin ambassador, they could now also be a Poke ambassador. Quote: "congrats guys. as a devin ambassador, can i be pokie amb too now?" (https://x.com/felixms/status/2080323635206914090) - Max Glik congratulated Felix Schlegel on joining Cognition. Quote: "congrats" (https://x.com/felixms/status/2080323635206914090) - The Interaction Company of California, maker of the messaging assistant Poke, was acquired by Cognition, the company behind the autonomous coding agent Devin. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Cognition disclosed no terms for the acquisition of The Interaction Company of California. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel are continuing building at Cognition. Quote: "Thrilled for Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel as they continue building at Cognition." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shosho_thrilled-for-marvin-von-hagen-and-felix-schlegel-activity-7486104028519559170-5L5s) - Felix M. Schlegel is a co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, the company behind Poke.com Quote: "The founders are Marvin von Hagen and Felix M. Schlegel." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Felix Schlegel is CTO of the company, shaping the architecture that keeps the assistant context-aware and lightning fast Quote: "Felix Schlegel, a decorated International Olympiad in Informatics medalist, is now CTO, shaping the architecture that keeps this assistant context-aware and lightning fast." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Felix Schlegel is a decorated International Olympiad in Informatics medalist Quote: "Felix Schlegel, a decorated International Olympiad in Informatics medalist, is now CTO" (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Felix Schlegel met co-founder Marvin von Hagen at a German hackathon as teenagers, bonded over code, and years later built the company Quote: "They met at a German hackathon as teenagers, bonded over code, and years later built something with the audacity to tackle communication overload at its root." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - The Interaction Company of California raised $15 million in seed funding at a $100 million valuation, with General Catalyst leading and Village Global and Earlybird Venture Capital participating, plus angel investors from Stripe, Dropbox, Google, OpenAI, Coinbase, and Vercel Quote: "They locked in $15 million in seed funding at a $100 million valuation, and the product they are betting on is Poke.com" (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Felix Schlegel is CTO and co-founder of Poke/Interaction (caption: "Poke’s Founders: Marvin von Hagen (CEO) and Felix Schlegel (CTO)"). (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Interaction announced a $15 million seed round led by General Catalyst, along with Village Global, Earlybird VC, and angel investors including founders and executives of PayPal, CoinBase, Dropbox, Vercel, and Google. Quote: "Interaction also announced a $15 million seed round led by General Catalyst, along with Village Global, Earlybird VC, and angel investors including founders and executives of PayPal, CoinBase, Dropbox, Vercel, and Google." (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - The seed funding was at a $100M valuation. Quote: "alongside announcing $15M at $100M valuation in seed funding" (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Schlegel co-founded "TUM Boring" from his dorm room in Munich for a global engineering competition hosted by Elon Musk's Boring Company. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel secured $1 million in funding from over 80 donors and sponsors to build a 40-foot, 22-ton tunnel-boring machine. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Out of 390 international teams, TUM Boring emerged victorious. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel co-founded Interaction (interaction.co) with Marvin von Hagen to streamline highly complex business processes through machine learning tools. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Felix Schlegel co-founded The Interaction Company of California, the maker of Poke, in 2024. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Felix Schlegel co-founded The Interaction Company of California with Marvin von Hagen. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Felix Schlegel is a co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, which builds the personal intelligence product Poke. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Poke has several thousand beta users who have exchanged over half a million messages with it. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - General Catalyst led the seed round for The Interaction Company of California. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel said: "Existing AI products feel robotic, cold, and require users to change their habits around them. We want to bring more humanity into AI, and build a genuinely good product that blends into many millions of lives around the world. Not too soon from now, I hope people won't even think about 'using AI' anymore—they'll just be texting with Poke, and it will just work." (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Schlegel co-founded "TUM Boring" from his dorm room in Munich for a global engineering competition hosted by Elon Musk's Boring Company. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel secured $1 million in funding from over 80 donors and sponsors to build a 40-foot, 22-ton tunnel-boring machine. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Out of 390 international teams, TUM Boring emerged victorious. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel co-founded Interaction (interaction.co) with Marvin von Hagen to streamline highly complex business processes through machine learning tools. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - In the three months before the acquisition, Poke exchanged more than 100 million messages across hundreds of thousands of users. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Cognition chief executive Scott Wu and co-founder Walden Yan were early angel investors in The Interaction Company of California. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Felix Schlegel and Marvin von Hagen previously co-founded TUM Boring, leading a 65-person team that built a 12-meter, 22-ton tunneling machine. (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Interaction raised $15M in seed funding led by General Catalyst and angel investors including founders from Stripe, Dropbox, Vercel, and Cognition. Quote: "Interaction has raised $15M in seed funding led by General Catalyst and angel investors including founders from Stripe, Dropbox, Vercel, and Cognition." (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Schlegel's talents had caught the attention of Apple engineers after he won the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) challenge in both 2018 and 2019. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - After winning the WWDC challenge, Apple flew Schlegel to Cupertino, California, where he presented a 2D volleyball game built in Swift. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - In his second WWDC appearance, Schlegel showcased an augmented reality model of San Francisco International Airport with detailed 3D reconstructions, real-time flight data, and animated planes. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - David Nadoba, an Apple engineer who mentored Schlegel during WWDC, said Schlegel asked in-depth questions about ARKit that even some seasoned developers don't think to ask. Quote: "He asked in-depth questions about ARKit that even some seasoned developers don't think to ask. It was clear he was already envisioning more complex use cases." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - During his second WWDC, Schlegel had a brief conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel was brought on as an Apple engineer, where he played a key role in integrating Apache Kafka into the Swift ecosystem. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel says his Apple experience sharpened his understanding of large-scale systems and real-time data processing. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel assembled a group of 65 mostly graduate-level engineers for TUM Boring in just ten weeks. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Marvin von Hagen, who also contributed to TUM Boring, said Schlegel brought together experts twice his age and made them believe in a vision. Quote: "He brought together experts twice his age and made them believe in a vision" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Von Hagen said even those who doubted Schlegel at first were impressed by how effectively he led the TUM Boring project. Quote: "Even those who doubted him at first were impressed by how effectively he led the project." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At the University of Cambridge, Schlegel studied Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Thomas Bohné, founder and head of the Cyber-Human Lab at the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering, said Schlegel's SLAM work was meticulous. Quote: "His SLAM work was meticulous" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Stanford, Schlegel contributed to projects aimed at optimizing treatment strategies for hypertension as part of Stanford's Biodesign program, working on AI-powered medication titration. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Stanford, Schlegel built two complementary applications: one for clinicians to monitor patient data and another for patients to track their vitals. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Oliver Aalami, a Stanford professor who oversaw parts of the project, recalled that they saw a considerable reduction in guesswork for adjusting prescriptions. Quote: "We saw a considerable reduction in guesswork for adjusting prescriptions" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - TUM Boring won Elon Musk’s 2021 Not-a-Boring Competition. (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Felix Schlegel has research experience at Stanford, MIT, and Cambridge. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel has worked at Tesla and Apple. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - The Interaction Company has built a team of engineers from Jane Street, Apple, Robinhood, Amazon and more. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Schlegel's talents had caught the attention of Apple engineers after he won the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) challenge in both 2018 and 2019. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - After winning the WWDC challenge, Apple flew Schlegel to Cupertino, California, where he presented a 2D volleyball game built in Swift. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - In his second WWDC appearance, Schlegel showcased an augmented reality model of San Francisco International Airport with detailed 3D reconstructions, real-time flight data, and animated planes. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - David Nadoba, an Apple engineer who mentored Schlegel during WWDC, said Schlegel asked in-depth questions about ARKit that even some seasoned developers don't think to ask. Quote: "He asked in-depth questions about ARKit that even some seasoned developers don't think to ask. It was clear he was already envisioning more complex use cases." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - During his second WWDC, Schlegel had a brief conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel was brought on as an Apple engineer, where he played a key role in integrating Apache Kafka into the Swift ecosystem. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel says his Apple experience sharpened his understanding of large-scale systems and real-time data processing. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel assembled a group of 65 mostly graduate-level engineers for TUM Boring in just ten weeks. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Marvin von Hagen, who also contributed to TUM Boring, said Schlegel brought together experts twice his age and made them believe in a vision. Quote: "He brought together experts twice his age and made them believe in a vision" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Von Hagen said even those who doubted Schlegel at first were impressed by how effectively he led the TUM Boring project. Quote: "Even those who doubted him at first were impressed by how effectively he led the project." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At the University of Cambridge, Schlegel studied Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Thomas Bohné, founder and head of the Cyber-Human Lab at the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering, said Schlegel's SLAM work was meticulous. Quote: "His SLAM work was meticulous" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Stanford, Schlegel contributed to projects aimed at optimizing treatment strategies for hypertension as part of Stanford's Biodesign program, working on AI-powered medication titration. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Stanford, Schlegel built two complementary applications: one for clinicians to monitor patient data and another for patients to track their vitals. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Oliver Aalami, a Stanford professor who oversaw parts of the project, recalled that they saw a considerable reduction in guesswork for adjusting prescriptions. Quote: "We saw a considerable reduction in guesswork for adjusting prescriptions" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Team members have won IOI medals and come from institutions like Jane Street, Citadel, Apple, Tesla, MIT, and Stanford. (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - CS studies and research at the Technical University of Munich Quote: "After my CS studies and research at the Technical University of Munich, the University of Cambridge, and Stanford University, I have been building Poke." (https://felixschlegel.io/) - CS studies and research at the University of Cambridge Quote: "After my CS studies and research at the Technical University of Munich, the University of Cambridge, and Stanford University, I have been building Poke." (https://felixschlegel.io/) - CS studies and research at Stanford University Quote: "After my CS studies and research at the Technical University of Munich, the University of Cambridge, and Stanford University, I have been building Poke." (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Has been building Poke Quote: "After my CS studies and research at the Technical University of Munich, the University of Cambridge, and Stanford University, I have been building Poke." (https://felixschlegel.io/) - TechCrunch reported the deal valued the startup in the low nine figures. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Emily Cohen responded to Felix Schlegel's announcement by saying she is excited to work together. Quote: "so excited to work together!" (https://x.com/felixms/status/2080323635206914090) - Poke launched publicly in March 2026. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Poke.com is a messaging-first AI assistant that works inside iMessage, WhatsApp, and SMS, pulling signals from email, calendar, and files to anticipate needs, drafting replies, paying invoices, rescheduling meetings, and booking travel as one-tap actions Quote: "It slides straight into iMessage, WhatsApp, and SMS, pulling signals from your email, calendar, and files to anticipate what you need before you even ask." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Poke had over 6,000 beta users, mostly Silicon Valley insiders, who sent more than 750,000 messages in the summer, averaging 200,000 messages per month, with nearly perfect retention Quote: "Over 6,000 beta users, mostly Silicon Valley insiders, fired off more than 750,000 messages to Poke this summer, averaging 200,000 messages per month." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - The company holds SOC 2 Type II and CASA Tier 2 compliance plus ongoing penetration testing Quote: "Add #SOC2TypeII and #CASATier2 compliance plus ongoing penetration testing, and it's clear the team knows that trust and scale have to be engineered together." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Roadmap includes public beta expansion, enterprise pilots, integrations into Slack and Teams, broader automation like expense reporting and CRM updates, and personalization Quote: "Public beta expansion is on deck. Enterprise pilots are lining up. Integrations into Slack and Teams are coming, expanding reach from #personalproductivity into the workflows of entire organizations." (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47) - Felix Schlegel's X handle is @felixms Quote: "loved working together, absolute 🐐 @0xSigil & team" (https://x.com/extraordinary/status/1965129662813929853) - Felix Schlegel said he loved working together with @0xSigil and team Quote: "loved working together, absolute 🐐 @0xSigil & team" (https://x.com/extraordinary/status/1965129662813929853) - Interaction is slated to debut its flagship product in the month following the article's publication. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - The article was published on 2025-02-12T15:48:06-05:00 and updated on 2025-02-12T15:48:33-05:00. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Marvin von Hagen, described as Felix Schlegel's longtime friend and programming partner, said Schlegel has always been driven to make everyday tasks more efficient through technology. Quote: "He's always been driven to make everyday tasks more efficient through technology" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel was entering university-level programming contests across Germany. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Jugend Hackt, Berlin's premier hackathon for young coders, Schlegel introduced a prototype for "smart shoes" with vibrating sensors in the soles that delivered turn-by-turn navigation. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel said he wanted to free people from having to stare at their phones so they could focus on the world around them. Quote: "I wanted to free people from having to stare at their phones so they could focus on the world around them" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel recalled that Tim Cook emphasized the importance of maintaining curiosity. Quote: "Tim emphasized the importance of maintaining curiosity. That simple advice always stuck with me" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Thomas Bohné said Schlegel helped optimize their system so it could handle complex, dynamically changing environments. Quote: "He helped optimize our system so it could handle complex, dynamically changing environments." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Oliver Aalami said Felix's algorithms did a lot of the heavy lifting by analyzing patient history and making data-driven recommendations. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Prior to Interaction, Schlegel and von Hagen developed an AI-driven content generator that produced news articles at scale and generated six figures in revenue from publishing clients. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Interaction attracted venture funding before completing its product launch, though details of the funding remain private. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel believes the waitlist will allow Interaction to "scale thoughtfully" and gather real-world user feedback. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel is now based in Munich. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - The Interaction Company of California is based in San Francisco, United States, and was founded in 2024. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - Previous roles include Research Affiliate at Stanford University; Software Engineer Intern at Apple; Student Researcher at Fraunhofer AISEC; Founding Team at TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixmschlegel) - Education history includes Visiting Researcher, University of Cambridge; Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science, Technical University of Munich; Z Fellows. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixmschlegel) - Felix Schlegel and Marvin von Hagen are described as long-time collaborators with combined experience in AI research and systems engineering at scale. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Poke integrates across platforms like text, email, and calendar. (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel said: "We initially approached this as an email-centric product, planning to build out a client with automations and all the typical trappings. But talking to users told us people didn't want another UI to learn. Whoever can afford it wants a human executive assistant: never even seeing most emails, just quickly checking in via text on whatever needs to be done." (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel said: "So we focused a lot on perfecting that experience: making Poke feel genuinely conversational, personal, and proactive, with read receipts, typing indicators, the ability to be interrupted like a human, and a much more human behavior than any other AI system before." (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel said: "This led to beta users replacing their ChatGPT usage with Poke, even for tasks we hadn't designed it for, with retention and usage numbers unheard of in the personal assistant space. We're now expanding beyond email much faster than we originally planned, not because we're pushing it, but because users are naturally pulling us in that direction." (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Felix Schlegel said: "Meaningful partnership at this stage goes far beyond just capital. When we were introduced to GC, we couldn't have anticipated the doors that would open, especially the unexpected support that has been so valuable. The GC team has made incredible introductions, including an exceptional hire, and we're receiving PR support from a dedicated team. True partnership means being helpful in ways we couldn't even think to ask for!" (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california) - Marvin von Hagen, described as Felix Schlegel's longtime friend and programming partner, said Schlegel has always been driven to make everyday tasks more efficient through technology. Quote: "He's always been driven to make everyday tasks more efficient through technology" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel was entering university-level programming contests across Germany. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - At Jugend Hackt, Berlin's premier hackathon for young coders, Schlegel introduced a prototype for "smart shoes" with vibrating sensors in the soles that delivered turn-by-turn navigation. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel said he wanted to free people from having to stare at their phones so they could focus on the world around them. Quote: "I wanted to free people from having to stare at their phones so they could focus on the world around them" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel recalled that Tim Cook emphasized the importance of maintaining curiosity. Quote: "Tim emphasized the importance of maintaining curiosity. That simple advice always stuck with me" (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Thomas Bohné said Schlegel helped optimize their system so it could handle complex, dynamically changing environments. Quote: "He helped optimize our system so it could handle complex, dynamically changing environments." (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Oliver Aalami said Felix's algorithms did a lot of the heavy lifting by analyzing patient history and making data-driven recommendations. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Prior to Interaction, Schlegel and von Hagen developed an AI-driven content generator that produced news articles at scale and generated six figures in revenue from publishing clients. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Interaction attracted venture funding before completing its product launch, though details of the funding remain private. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel believes the waitlist will allow Interaction to "scale thoughtfully" and gather real-world user feedback. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - Schlegel is now based in Munich. (https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460) - No funding rounds are on record for The Interaction Company of California. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - The Interaction Company of California is the maker of Poke, an AI assistant that users message like a friend over iMessage, SMS and other messaging apps. (https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company) - The first few thousand beta users have exchanged over 750,000 messages with Poke. Quote: "The first few thousand beta users have exchanged over 750,000 messages with Poke, demonstrating near-perfect retention." (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Poke leverages SOC 2 Type II and CASA Tier 2 certifications, with regular pentesting from cybersecurity firms. Quote: "The platform leverages industry-leading security standards including SOC 2 Type II and CASA Tier 2 certifications, with regular pentesting from cybersecurity firms." (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Interaction is "The Interaction Company of California" and creator of Poke.com. Quote: "The Interaction Company of California is the creator of Poke.com" (https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533) - Passionate about technology and design for as long as he can remember Quote: "I've been passionate about technology and design for as long as I can remember." (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in Applied Compute Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in Attention Engineering Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in Core Automation Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in Exa Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in General Translation Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Angel invests in Raindrop Quote: "I also angel invest:" (https://felixschlegel.io/) - Location is San Francisco, California, United States. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixmschlegel) ## Experience - Co-Founder at The Interaction Company of California - Palo Alto, California, United States (Jan 2024 - Present): poke.com - Research Affiliate at Stanford University (Jan 2024 - Jan 2024) - Software Engineer Intern at Apple (Jan 2023 - Jan 2023) - Student Researcher at Fraunhofer AISEC (Jan 2022 - Jan 2023) - Founding Team at TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V. (Jan 2020 - Jan 2021) ## Education - University of Cambridge - Visiting Researcher: Received return offer for postgraduate degree program - Technical University of Munich - Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science - Z Fellows ## Sources - https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixmschlegel - https://www.ibtimes.com/felix-schlegel-redefining-human-computer-interaction-ai-3763460 - https://www.mgt.tum.de/our-stories-with-impact/detail/tum-students-win-elon-musks-not-a-boring-competition - https://x.com/extraordinary/status/1965129662813929853 - https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/seeding-the-future-with-the-interaction-company-of-california - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jesselandry23_aiassistant-soc2typeii-casatier2-activity-7373016933794881536-ce47 - https://x.com/felixms/status/2080323635206914090 - https://seedtable.com/exits/the-interaction-company - https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/poke-makes-ai-agents-as-easy-as-sending-a-text/ - https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=343533 - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shosho_thrilled-for-marvin-von-hagen-and-felix-schlegel-activity-7486104028519559170-5L5s - https://felixschlegel.io/ - https://cognition.com/blog/interaction - https://x.com/felixms Researched with Autumn (https://www.autumn.ai) from public sources. Updated 2026-11-04. Profile: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/people/felix-schlegel · Everyone at Cognition: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/people