A new email application called Avec has launched for iOS, aiming to revolutionise how users manage their inboxes on mobile devices. The app employs a Tinder-inspired card-swiping interface for triaging emails and features AI-powered voice replies. Founded by former Replit product engineer Jonathan Unikowski, the startup has raised $8.4 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed and Haystack.
Currently free for Gmail users in the United States, Avec plans to introduce paid tiers in the future. Support for Microsoft Outlook accounts is under development.
How the Tinder-style interface works
By default, users swipe right on an email card to archive it, marking it as "done". Swiping left adds the message to a "later" pile for deferred action. A unique "hold-to-talk" button at the bottom of each card allows users to dictate replies, which are transcribed into a draft for review and editing before sending.
The company claims its AI has full context of the user's inbox, enabling it to better understand names, tone, and even learn an individual's personal email style for more accurate suggestions. This differentiates it from other voice-based tools constrained by mobile operating system APIs.
Founder's vision for a stagnant tool
Jonathan Unikowski told TechCrunch he built Avec to address an everyday tool he believes has seen little meaningful innovation for 25 years. "Gmail was the last big change in email," Unikowski stated, highlighting its long-term impact on email management. "It's a big part of everyone's life, no matter how much they hate it. And it seemed very clear to me that through a combination of really good design and, of course, the judicious use of these new AI tools, we could do much better."
He explained the decision to launch on mobile first, arguing that platform constraints force greater creativity. "You get away with a lot less on an iOS app... if you're going to convince someone to install a new app, it needs to be really good. And for it to be really good, you need to be extremely inventive," Unikowski said.
Competitive landscape and future plans
Avec enters a market with established players like Superhuman, Mimestream, and Hey by Basecamp, all attempting to reinvent email productivity. Unlike some competitors that require separate keyboard installations, Avec functions as a full-featured email client.
The app also includes a feature to mark emails as "unimportant" with a downward swipe. Over time, it learns from these actions and can group similar low-priority messages together, reducing repetitive triage. For users preferring a traditional view, a standard list-based inbox is also available.
While the core service is currently free, the company is ideating on features for a future premium subscription model. The $8.4 million seed round included participation from notable individual investors such as Replit CEO Amjad Massad and Behance co-founder Scott Belsky.