Shortwave
Shortwave is a San Francisco-based, AI-native email client for Gmail (plus Outlook/POP3) that uses Anthropic Claude and OpenAI models to deliver AI-powered inbox organization, personalized reply drafting, semantic search, and team collaboration, sold via tiered per-seat subscriptions to thousands of professional teams.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersCovina, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Shortwave does
Shortwave (Shortwave Communications, Inc.) is a San Francisco-based, venture-backed software company founded in 2020-2021 by ex-Googlers including CEO Andrew Lee, building an AI-native email client for Gmail (with Outlook/POP3 support). The product is distributed via self-serve PLG across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and web, with a separate enterprise sales motion for regulated buyers. Core technology layers multi-model LLM access (Anthropic Claude Haiku 4.5, Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.6, and OpenAI GPT-4o) on top of proprietary assets — Ghostwriter personalization (learns individual writing voice from past emails), custom AI search infrastructure (custom embeddings, query planning, parallel execution), AI-powered filters configurable in natural language, and the multi-step Shortwave Agent.
The product spans AI-driven inbox organization, contextual reply generation, summarization, AI-powered search across email/calendar/attachments, read-status and link tracking, and a Teams collaboration suite (shared threads, comments, assignees, shared labels, AI snippets). Shortwave monetizes via tiered per-seat annual subscriptions: Business ($24/seat/mo, Claude Sonnet 4.6), Premier ($36/seat/mo, Sonnet 4.6 with adaptive thinking), Max ($100/seat/mo, Opus 4.6 with adaptive thinking), and Enterprise (custom pricing). A 14-day free trial and CASA Tier 2, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR compliance support both PLG and enterprise procurement paths.
In October 2025, CEO Andrew Lee launched Tasklet as a sister AI agent automation product using a two-tier agent architecture with 3,000+ integrations; a deep Shortwave-Tasklet integration followed in January 2026, routing automated drafts into Shortwave rather than Gmail. The company reports being trusted by thousands of teams including Twilio, X, Roblox, Gusto, Spotify, GitHub, Zapier, HubSpot, Compass, AppFolio, Foursquare, Y Combinator, and Gather, with $9M in disclosed funding (Feb 2022) led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Union Square Ventures.
Shortwave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shortwave
- Legal name
- Shortwave Communications, Inc.
- Website
- https://shortwave.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shortwave is a San Francisco-based, AI-native email client for Gmail (plus Outlook/POP3) that uses Anthropic Claude and OpenAI models to deliver AI-powered inbox organization, personalized reply drafting, semantic search, and team collaboration, sold via tiered per-seat subscriptions to thousands of professional teams.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shortwave industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Email Client and Team Collaboration Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAI)
Keywords
Where Shortwave is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Covina
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Shortwave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Business Plan: Tiered per-seat subscription model with three main tiers (Business $24/seat/month, Premier $36/seat/month, Max $100/seat/month) billed annually. Includes AI usage quotas that vary by tier. 14-day free trial available.
- Enterprise Sales: Custom enterprise pricing for larger organizations with advanced integration, compliance, security, or support requirements. Contact sales for quote.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Business: Everyday AI productivity at $24/seat/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Premier: Advanced intelligence for complex workflows at $36/seat/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Max: Most powerful models & features at $100/seat/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger organizations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shortwave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shortwave is an AI-native email client that sits on top of Gmail (with Outlook/POP3 support) to deliver inbox organization, AI-powered search and analysis, personalized AI drafting via Ghostwriter, scheduling automation, and real-time team collaboration features such as shared threads, comments, and assignees. Its sister product Tasklet adds 24/7 autonomous workflow automation across 3,000+ applications via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The platform is sold as a per-seat SaaS subscription with tiered plans (Business, Premier, Max) plus a custom Enterprise tier.
Product overview
Shortwave offers two related but distinct AI-powered products: Shortwave (core AI email assistant) and Tasklet (sister AI automation platform). Shortwave is an AI-native email client for Gmail with intelligent inbox management, AI writing, search, and team collaboration. Tasklet is a separate 24/7 automation engine that works alongside Shortwave to handle recurring workflows across 3,000+ apps without user input. Together they provide an integrated email productivity suite where Shortwave serves as the real-time inbox interface and Tasklet runs automation in the background.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tasklet: A separate AI agent automation product launched in October 2025, designed for 24/7 workflow automation that connects to 3,000+ apps. It works alongside Shortwave but is a distinct product.
Products and services
- Shortwave AI-native email client built on top of Gmail (with Outlook/POP3 support) that provides intelligent inbox organization, AI-powered search, personalized AI drafting via Ghostwriter, calendar scheduling, read-status and link tracking, and real-time team collaboration (shared threads, comments, assignees, shared labels, AI snippets). Sold as per-seat SaaS across Business ($24), Premier ($36), Max ($100), and custom Enterprise tiers.
- Tasklet Autonomous AI agent platform that operates 24/7 without user input, using a two-tier architecture (high-level agent spawning sub-agents) to handle recurring tasks across 3,000+ integrated applications including email, calendars, CRMs, and business tools. Triggers include scheduled tasks, email arrivals, label changes, and webhooks, and it integrates natively with Shortwave for in-app drafts, todos, and team comments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Users reach inbox zero faster with bulk triage via bundles and AI-powered organization
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Shortwave
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shortwave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability11 records
Feature9 records
Shortwave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TaskletcoreTasklet is a sister product from Shortwave's founder Andrew Lee, launched in October 2025. It provides 24/7 AI automation that integrates natively with Shortwave - drafts appear in Shortwave (not Gmail), Tasklet can manage Shortwave todos, and add comments on threads. Shortwave is one of 3,000+ apps Tasklet connects to, enabling automations across the user's entire workflow.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shortwave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Superhuman: Premium AI-powered email client focused on inbox zero for Gmail/Outlook users. Shortwave's most direct head-to-head competitor; both target professionals willing to pay for an AI-native email experience and have launched team collaboration features.
- Spike: Email and team messaging client that converts email threads into chat-style conversations, with AI-powered summaries and writing assistance. Competes with Shortwave for the same horizontal productivity email-client buyer and is increasingly layering in AI features.
- Spark Mail: Cross-platform email client with AI-driven smart inbox, smart replies, and team collaboration features. Targets similar professional and team segments as Shortwave and competes on AI-driven inbox organization.
- Canary Mail: AI-powered email client offering smart compose, summarization, and priority inbox across iOS, Mac, and Android. Direct alternative to Shortwave for professionals seeking AI-native email productivity.
- SaneBox: AI-based email management service that prioritizes important emails and offers snooze, reminders, and digest features. Competes with Shortwave's bundling/triage capabilities as a lighter-weight, non-client-based productivity layer.
Emerging players
- Front: Shared inbox and team email management platform with AI features for summarization, drafting, and workflow automation. Overlaps with Shortwave's Teams and shared-thread capabilities but is positioned more as a customer-facing team inbox than an individual productivity tool.
- Edison Mail: Consumer-focused AI email app with smart assistants, unsubscribing, and unified inbox features. A more consumer-leaning adjacent competitor with overlapping AI inbox management functionality.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Outlook with Copilot: Dominant enterprise email client now bundled with Microsoft 365 Copilot for AI-powered summarization, drafting, and coaching. The largest incumbent threat to Shortwave, particularly in enterprise accounts.
- Gmail with Gemini: Google's flagship email product, now embedding Gemini-powered Smart Reply, Smart Compose, and Summarize. Defines the platform Shortwave integrates with and the dominant competitive threat in the consumer/SMB segment.
Others
- Zapier: Workflow automation platform connecting 3,000+ apps, and a Shortwave integration partner. Represents the broader automation competitive set that Tasklet (Shortwave's sister product) is positioned against for AI-driven workflow orchestration.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shortwave social profiles
Digital presenceShortwave compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Shortwave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shortwave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Shortwave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shortwave M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shortwave
What does Shortwave do?
Shortwave is an AI-native email client that sits on top of Gmail (with Outlook/POP3 support) to deliver inbox organization, AI-powered search and analysis, personalized AI drafting via Ghostwriter, scheduling automation, and real-time team collaboration features such as shared threads, comments, and assignees. Its sister product Tasklet adds 24/7 autonomous workflow automation across 3,000+ applications via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The platform is sold as a per-seat SaaS subscription with tiered plans (Business, Premier, Max) plus a custom Enterprise tier.
Is Shortwave a public or private company?
Shortwave is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Shortwave founded?
Shortwave was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shortwave based?
Shortwave is headquartered in Covina, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shortwave make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Business Plan is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Sales.
Who are Shortwave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Superhuman, Spike, Spark Mail, Canary Mail and SaneBox. Emerging players are Front and Edison Mail. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Outlook with Copilot and Gmail with Gemini. Zapier is listed as an others.
Does Shortwave have an API?
Yes. Shortwave offers MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration for connecting the AI Assistant to external applications and data sources. The implementation supports Remote MCP over HTTP on web and Android apps, and Local MCP over stdio on the desktop application. Users can connect to existing MCP servers available online (including Smithery and GitHub) or create custom integrations. Tasklet, the sister automation product, also supports direct API connections via HTTP API (requires API key) and webhooks for external triggers.
What industry is Shortwave in?
Shortwave's product category is AI Email Client and Team Collaboration Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAJ, AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs), with a secondary code of HDAEAHAI, Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.