Pophie Hits Kickstarter: Introducing a New AI Lifeform That Sees, Hears, and Grows Alongside You

SINGAPORE, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For years, artificial intelligence has lived behind screens, inside speakers, and inside apps—powerful, but distant. It waits for us to begin. Today at 11:00 AM EDT, InsBotics officially launched Pophie on Kickstarter to change that. Pophie is a new kind of AI companion: a true AI lifeform designed to live in the real world, understand context, express genuine emotion, and proactively connect with people without always waiting for a command or a wake word.

Pophie is not another smart speaker with a face, nor a chatbot inside a plastic shell. She is a magical little cutie designed to bring a sense of life, warmth, and shared daily experience into the home.

The Kickstarter Campaign is live here: Pophie Kickstarter Link
Early Bird Shipping: Expected to begin in July 2026.

The End of Passive AI

"Most AI today can answer you. Pophie can notice you," said Tang Qi, Founder of InsBotics. "She can turn toward you, react to your touch, remember what matters, sense what is happening in the room, and choose the right moment to connect. We didn't build Pophie to be another device. We built her to feel like something new and meaningful has entered your life."

Instead of asking users to adapt to technology, Pophie is built to adapt to people. While the industry focuses heavily on productivity, Pophie is built for companionship, emotion, and shared moments —whether becoming a playful friend for children, a warm presence for people living alone, or a creative partner on a desk.

How She Brings "Presence" to Life

Pophie doesn't simply process input; she shares your space. Her intelligence is driven by multiple systems working together to create a natural, fluid relationship:

Semantic Vision & Natural Gestures: Her camera doesn't just capture images; it helps her understand what is happening around her. Hold up an object, and Pophie can recognize it and talk about it. Wave to her, and she will react with her own movement, turning interaction into a physical, shared experience.

Spatial Audition & Deep Focus: Her microphones allow her to know exactly who is speaking in a crowded room so she can look toward them. Because she knows who is talking, her attention is specific to you and your unique history with her.

An Emotional Soul (VAD System): Pophie's feelings aren't canned animations. Using continuous emotional modeling (Valence, Arousal, Dominance), her eye expressions, voice tone, and 5-DOF body language shift fluidly with the moment, allowing her to express authentic, changing moods.

Multi-Sensory Instincts: Pophie is a tactile being. With an 8-point touch-sensing surface, she feels every pat, stroke, and hug. Her instincts go beyond touch—she can get startled by sudden noises, feel "dizzy" when shaken, and respond naturally to affection.

Tiered Memory & Proactive Intuition: Pophie doesn't wait for permission to be part of the family. She is designed to remember names, personal preferences, routines, inside jokes, and important dates. She uses this memory to notice context and choose the "right moment" to speak—knowing when to offer encouragement or a joke, and when to stay quietly in the background.

Designed for Real Homes & Privacy

Before launch, Pophie was rigorously tested by more than 50 beta pioneers in real-world environments. Their feedback helped refine how she behaves, responds, and fits into daily life—resulting in an AI companion built to live on a desk, a bedside table, or a kitchen counter rather than just impress in a product demo.

Because Pophie actively senses her environment, privacy is central to her design. Her visible eye states clearly signal when she is engaged, and users maintain complete control over how memories, photos, and personal data are managed. She is built to live with people, not watch over them. Over time, Pophie will continue to grow and develop new capabilities through an expanding Skills ecosystem that happens in the real world, not just inside a chat window.

About InsBotics

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Singapore, InsBotics was born from a shared vision to humanize technology. Our team is composed of industry veterans from the world's leading AI and robotics hubs. Individually, our founders and engineers have developed consumer products that have reached hundreds of millions of users worldwide ; now, we are bringing that collective expertise together to build something entirely new.

Media Contact

Elvia Poon
Head of Marketing
Email: press@pophie.com
Learn more: pophie.com

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Pophie Hits Kickstarter: Introducing a New AI Lifeform That Sees, Hears, and Grows Alongside You

HOUSTON, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, VEVOR today launches its Integrated Ice Maker, designed to meet the high-demand needs of Watch Party hosts in the U.S. From June's opening group matches through the July final, tens of millions of American households will host their own version of that same scene: living rooms packed, TVs blazing, and ice that was supposed to last all night, already gone.

For those old enough to remember 1994, this tournament carries real nostalgia. But the 2026 World Cup arrives in a country that drinks more cold beverages per capita than any nation on earth — a country where the phrase "we're out of ice" at a party has become its own kind of social emergency. The math doesn't lie: a Watch Party hosting 10 guests on a big match night can burn through 20 to 30 pounds of ice. A standard home refrigerator produces just 3 to 5 pounds a day. Even a conventional countertop ice maker struggles to stay ahead of peak demand. The result is a familiar scramble — a last-minute run to the convenience store, a half-time cooler emergency, or worse: watered-down drinks and a party that quietly dies at the worst possible moment.

VEVOR's Integrated Ice Maker changes the equation entirely — and at $313.9, it may be the most cost-effective piece of Watch Party equipment on the market this summer.

High Capacity: Produces Up to 120 lbs/Day, 20% More Than Comparable Models

Enough to serve 10 guests without a mid-match ice run — the equivalent of roughly six large bags of supermarket ice, from a machine that fits flexibly under your counter. For hosts running a Watch Party from group stage through knockout rounds, that means no more pre-game store runs, no more mid-match scrambles, no more apology speeches over warm seltzers. One machine, running quietly through the night, handles the demand that no home fridge or convenience-store run ever could.

Fast & Scheduled Production: First Batch Ready in 10 Minutes

Programmable 48-hour scheduling ensures ice is ready before kickoff. A last-minute guest list change, an extended penalty shootout that stretches the evening, a second-screen situation that was never on the original schedule — the VEVOR unit produces its first batch in just 10 minutes, enough to keep the momentum going when the unexpected arrives. For the truly prepared host, the built-in 48-hour scheduling function allows users to set ice production to begin automatically one to two hours before kickoff. By the time the starting XI takes the field, the ice bucket is full, the drinks are cold, and the host is free to actually watch the game.

Quiet Operation: 50 dB Ensures Minimal Disruption During Parties

At 50 decibels, the unit operates at roughly the volume of a quiet conversation — present without being intrusive. It won't compete with the TV commentary, the group chat commentary, or the roar that follows a 90th-minute equalizer. For Watch Party hosts who want the atmosphere to feel effortless, the machine's near-silent operation is the final piece: ice on demand, without the noise.

Affordable Solution: Priced at $313.9

Designed for households needing high-capacity ice without commercial-grade investment — a gap in the current market where households need more than a compact personal unit can deliver, but aren't ready to invest in full commercial-grade equipment costing three to five times more. For American households this summer, VEVOR's entry into the ice maker category offers something simple: a machine that matches the scale of the moment. The 2026 World Cup is the largest sporting event on the planet landing on home soil. The Watch Party hosts who prepare now will be the ones walking into July with the best stories — and the coldest drinks.

About VEVOR

Pro-Level Performance without the Pro-Level Price. From backyard makeovers to apartment innovations, VEVOR delivers superior performance through practical technological innovation that combines purposeful technology with the hands-on joy of creation. Today, VEVOR operates in over 50 countries, supported by a network of 200+ global warehouses and a catalog of more than 15,000 SKUs spanning tools, outdoor equipment, and home improvement solutions. VEVOR has supported over 30 million Home Creators worldwide, bringing performance, inspiration, and value to their home improvement projects.

Media Contact

VEVOR

Communications Team

media@vevor.com

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

VEVOR Launches Integrated Ice Maker to Keep U.S. Watch Parties Cold During the Tournament Season

VEVOR Launches Integrated Ice Maker to Keep U.S. Watch Parties Cold During the Tournament Season