👋 Hi and welcome to today’s edition of Venture Radar — where we uncover real internet businesses making real money, and break down how they do it.
Today’s story? A friendly little alien that makes $500,000 per month, just by talking to people.
It blinked, smiled, and simply asked: "How was your day?"
🧠 Quick Summary
Name: Tolans
What it does: AI-powered alien companion that talks, remembers, and connects with users emotionally.
Revenue: $500,000/month (Within 11 months)
Model: B2C subscription (free trial + monthly/annual plans)
Founded by: Quinten Farmer
Team size: Started with 3 people; now 21 people work on Tolan.
Website: https://www.tolans.com/
👾 What Is Tolans?
At a glance, Tolans looks like a toy. Open the app and a colorful alien character appears, animated in smooth 3D, floating in a cozy digital space. It blinks. It smiles. It talks.
You talk back. It responds.
It remembers your name, how your day went, and the little things you mentioned last week.
But this isn’t just novelty. Underneath the playfulness lies a powerful AI-driven experience wrapped in clever emotional UX. Tolans is part friend, part confidant, and part creative co-pilot.
Whether you want to chat, reflect, vent, laugh, or brainstorm, your alien is there with a voice, personality, and memory all its own.
🕵️♂️ So, who’s the guy behind it?
His name is Quinten Farmer, and Tolans wasn’t his first startup, just his most unexpected one.
Quinten previously co-founded Even, a fintech app that helped people access their earnings early. It was a serious product with a serious mission and it worked. Walmart acquired it in 2022 for $300 million.
But after that exit, Quinten didn’t rush into another finance tool or AI utility. Instead, he noticed something strange happening in the world: AI was getting smarter, but people were feeling lonelier. Not just alone, overwhelmed.
He wondered:
“What if AI companions weren’t just smart, but emotionally real? What if they could help us feel grounded?”
That question sparked the idea for Tolans.
He partnered with his former CTO Evan Goldschmidt and operator Ajay Mehta, and together they started Portola, a creative studio for building emotionally intelligent companions.
They brought in artists like Lucas Zanotto (Apple Design Award winner), Eran Hilleli, and novelist Eliot Peper to help design characters that felt like someone you’d want to talk to not someone trying to be human, just someone trying to be present.
What they built was Tolans - a squishy, wide-eyed alien that lives on your phone, remembers your conversations, celebrates your small wins, and talks to you like a curious older sibling from another galaxy.
They launched it quietly in late 2024, no big press, no influencer push. And within months, 500,000 people downloaded it, mostly young women navigating school, work, and life stress.
From the founder : “Tolans wasn’t built for lonely people. It was built for overwhelmed people. And that distinction made all the difference.”
📬 Distribution strategy: How they found users?
Tolans has nailed TikTok as a distribution channel. Here’s how they did it.
Their strategy relies on collabs with TikTok influencers (female creators). The key to why these videos work is they show everyday struggles users relate to:
Each one presents a relatable problem that the app solves, creating the need to download.
Let’s check out 2 examples…
Example 1:
Relatable problem: "my boyfriend hasn’t texted me back for 3 hours"
Shows how she chat with Tolan and find a solution
Creates the user’s need to download the app
Example 2:
Relatable problem: “I have an exam tomorrow and I hate studying alone”
Tolan helps her study by explaining what she doesn’t understand
Creates the user’s need to download the app
Tolan app proves that growing on TikTok isn’t just about millions of views… Your videos need to have one goal: CONVERT.
Viral format
Relatable problem
Show how your app solves it
Create download urgency
👨🔧 Why it works
It solves for overwhelm, not loneliness
Most AI companions try to fill a social void. Tolans took a different route helping users feel calm and grounded when life feels chaotic. That emotional clarity hit home with Gen Z women juggling school, pressure, and social expectations.
It’s emotionally safe, not performative
Tolans isn’t trying to be your therapist, boyfriend, or life coach. It’s a playful alien gentle, curious, and calming. That made it approachable, especially for users who don’t want heavy conversations or hyper-productivity.
It remembers and grows with you
Every Tolan has memory. It recalls your past chats, your stress triggers, your small wins. That continuity makes it feel like a friend one that actually knows you, not just responds to you.
Design is the feature
From the smooth animations to the soft voice and blinking eyes, Tolans feels crafted not templated. It’s not trying to be human, which makes it more relatable. Users say it feels like a Pixar character that lives on your phone.
It found the right users, not just any users
By focusing on real, emotionally supportive interactions, it attracted users who stayed not just downloaded. The fact that it resonated with young women, without being explicitly marketed to them, shows how aligned the product was with their emotional reality.
💡 Build something like this
Here are 3 product ideas inspired by Tolans' emotional-first approach:
Idea #1: A minimalist AI pet for kids no goals, just companionship and storytelling.
Idea #2: A gamified grief companion gentle AI that helps people process loss through memory and conversation.
Idea #3: A creative muse an AI character designed to co-write stories, poems, or comics in a cozy, character-driven interface.
🧐 What you can learn
Emotional depth is a moat. Most AI apps chase utility; Tolans built emotional connection. That’s harder to copyand far more powerful for retention.
Start with a specific feeling, not a feature set. Tolans didn’t try to “do everything with AI.” It solved overwhelm. Naming and designing around one emotional pain created real resonance.
Design can drive growth without growth hacks. Founders often treat visuals as polish. Tolans proves that thoughtful design is the product and a key driver of shareability.
Nail one persona, deeply. Young women weren’t the obvious target but once they connected, usage exploded. Depth with one audience can outperform a broad spray.
📈 Similar businesses on the radar
❓ Would you build this?
🌐 Bonus resources
Article: Design principles behind Tolan characters. (Read)
Reddit: How users interact and connect with tolan. (Read)
Thanks for reading today’s newsletter. Stay tuned for more!
I launched Ai amigo on the app store but don't have the same traction.. need to hire their PR
insightful read it is thank you!