Hypernatural, the startup led by co-founders Rebecca Kossnick and Taylor Hughes, just announced a $9.2 million raise from a lineup of bold investors: AIX Ventures, Underscore VC, Adverb Ventures, Character.vc, and 43 VC.

At its core, Hypernatural is building something deceptively rare: AI-powered products that people actually love to use. Instead of focusing on enterprise use cases or backend tooling, they’re creating consumer-first, emotionally intelligent apps and experiences - designed to be not just useful, but delightful.

And in an AI market dominated by cold automation and enterprise dashboards, that kind of human-first approach? It’s a bold bet.

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From Functional to Emotional AI

We’ve entered an era where AI is technically everywhere - but emotionally nowhere. Hypernatural’s thesis flips that narrative. They believe AI should feel alive, contextual, and personally resonant. Their platform is tailored to help creators, brands, and product teams craft experiences that connect, convert, and keep users coming back.

Rather than tacking AI onto existing workflows, they ask:

“What would this experience look like if AI was built in from the start - not added later?”

The result? Tools that are expressive, not robotic. Interfaces that understand tone. Flows that feel like conversations, not commands. And personalization that doesn't just optimize clicks, but reflects human identity.

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What Founders Are Missing About Product-Led AI

Here’s the insight most startup teams miss: AI doesn’t sell itself. Even with powerful models under the hood, your users won't care unless your UX earns their trust - and their curiosity.

Hypernatural’s work proves that product-led AI needs the same finesse as social apps or gaming:

• micro-moments of surprise and delight
  
• frictionless onboarding with invisible complexity
  
• feedback loops that reward exploration
  
• voice, tone, and interaction design that feels native to Gen Z and younger millennials
  

AI can no longer afford to be flat, sterile, or “tool-y.” Founders building in this space should prioritize feeling before features. Don’t just build smart products - build emotionally intelligent ones.

Hypernatural’s stack allows creators to embed those UX principles directly into their AI layers, turning what used to be API wrappers into full-fledged interactive brand experiences.

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Backed by the VCs Betting on Creative Infrastructure

Hypernatural’s investor list is stacked with some of the most forward-thinking early-stage funds betting on the intersection of tech, culture, and creativity:

• AIX Ventures, known for backing human-centered AI
  
• Underscore VC, which supports product-led SaaS founders
  
• Character.vc, a go-to fund for culture-driven tech bets
  
• Adverb Ventures and 43 VC, both early believers in storytelling-focused AI platforms
  

This round isn’t just capital - it’s validation from some of the loudest voices in the emerging AI+UX wave. Investors are clearly betting that Hypernatural’s take on intelligent interaction will define a whole category of next-gen consumer tools.

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Who’s Behind It: Rebecca Kossnick and Taylor Hughes

Kossnick and Hughes bring the perfect storm of creative ops and technical depth.

Kossnick, with a background in fashion-tech and consumer products, understands how to design emotional resonance at scale. Hughes brings the engineering wizardry needed to make AI responsive, stable, and modular - without sacrificing performance.

Together, they’re reimagining how people relate to the products they use daily. Whether it’s a wellness app, a journaling tool, a brand concierge, or an intelligent creative studio, Hypernatural gives product teams the AI canvas to build with empathy, not just efficiency.

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The Rise of AI-Native Consumer Products

Hypernatural’s vision is part of a much larger wave: the rise of AI-native consumer brands. Rather than treating AI as a backend utility, these companies are designing with AI as the medium itself.

According to CB Insights, more than 35% of new consumer apps launched in 2023 featured some form of integrated generative AI. But most fell flat due to poor execution - clunky UX, low trust, or misalignment with user behavior.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Gen Z and younger millennials now expect adaptive, interactive, and personalized tech experiences
  
• AI-native products are seeing 2x higher retention than traditional static tools when crafted with intentional UX
  
• Brand loyalty is increasingly shaped by how “understood” users feel - something AI, if done right, can amplify
  

The consumer AI software market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.5% through 2030, with applications across entertainment, wellness, productivity, and education. It’s not just about speed anymore - it’s about depth and connection.

Hypernatural is planting its flag right at the center of that.

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What's Next for Hypernatural

With this fresh capital, Hypernatural plans to:

• Scale its platform tools for creators and DTC brands looking to launch AI-native experiences
  
• Expand the template library for specific verticals like journaling, fashion, and personal development
  
• Hire across design, interaction research, and creative engineering roles
  
• Open up a closed beta for early-stage companies and creators to build on the Hypernatural framework
  
• Partner with culture-first agencies and digital studios to drive adoption from the brand side
  

Rumors suggest they’re also working on a modular AI avatar layer - a way for brands to launch intelligent “faces” of their company, powered by LLMs and custom behavioral training.

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Final Thought: AI That Feels as Good as It Works

While the AI world is still focused on optimization and scale, Hypernatural is quietly pioneering a more human path forward. One where AI isn’t just a function - it’s a feeling. Where apps don’t just respond - but resonate.

And if their trajectory continues, it’s clear they won’t just power a few smart tools - they’ll help birth a new genre of products entirely.

For founders, here’s the big takeaway:
Emotion is the new moat. In a saturated AI market, the startups that win won’t just understand data.
They’ll understand us.

Hypernatural is betting on it - and now, so are their investors.