Shortwave
by Shortwave Communications, Inc.
Shortwave is an AI-powered email client for Gmail and Google Workspace. It organizes messages into bundles and adds search, summarization, writing assistance, scheduling, task, and collaboration features.
Why Abandoned
Shortwave’s website and product documentation remain available, and its official blog continued publishing product updates in 2026.
🩺 Health Signals
- HTTP Status
- 200
- Response
- —
- SSL
- —
- Confidence
- 98%
- Domain expires
- —
- Last content change
- —
- Last tweet
- —
- API status
- —
📅 Timeline
Shortwave launched publicly
The team behind Shortwave introduced its Gmail-focused email client and announced $9 million in funding led by USV and Lightspeed.
AI Assistant introduced
Shortwave launched an AI email assistant designed to search, summarize, analyze, and compose using information from a user’s email history.
$16 million Series A announced
Shortwave announced a $16 million Series A led by David Ulevitch at Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from existing investors.
AI-powered Inbox Splits released
Shortwave announced natural-language inbox categorization that uses AI to sort incoming email into customizable splits.
🔄 Alternatives to Shortwave
Bard / Gemini
🟢ActiveGoogle's AI assistant, originally Bard, rebranded to Gemini with multimodal capabilities.
Grammarly
🟢ActiveAI writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, tone, and clarity across platforms.
Microsoft Copilot
🟢ActiveMicrosoft Copilot is a generative AI assistant available on the web, Windows, mobile devices, and Microsoft Edge. It answers questions, drafts and summarizes text, creates images, and can connect with Microsoft services.
Notion AI
🟢ActiveNotion AI is the assistant layer inside Notion: drafting, summarizing, workspace Q&A, and AI-filled databases. Active and shipping in 2026.
🪦 Other dead Productivity tools
Xembly
🟠Possibly DeadXembly was a workplace productivity assistant that used AI to schedule meetings, take meeting notes, track action items, and automate related administrative work through calendar and messaging integrations.
Clara
🟠Possibly DeadClara Labs offered an AI-assisted scheduling service that coordinated meetings by email through a human-like virtual assistant. The company was acquired by TopFunnel in 2019, and its original service is no longer operating.
Storia AI
🟡Acquired / MergedStoria AI was an AI-assisted visual design and image-editing product developed by Storia. Its tools included text editing within generated images, object removal, background changes, and image cleanup.
Limitless
🟡Acquired / MergedLimitless is an AI-powered memory and meeting assistant from Limitless AI that records or imports conversations, produces transcripts and summaries, and lets users search and query captured information across its apps and wearable Pendant.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shortwave AI email?
Shortwave is an email client for Gmail and Google Workspace that combines inbox organization with AI-powered search, summaries, writing assistance, scheduling, and task management.
Does Shortwave replace Gmail?
Shortwave provides a separate interface and workflow for an existing Gmail or Google Workspace mailbox; it does not replace the underlying Google email account.
What can the Shortwave AI Assistant do?
It can answer questions using email history, summarize threads, help draft or edit messages, and surface information contained in the mailbox. Available capabilities and limits depend on the current plan.
Is Shortwave available for teams?
Yes. Shortwave supports team-oriented features such as shared threads, comments, assignments, and collaborative email workflows, alongside individual email tools.
Is Shortwave still active?
Yes. Shortwave’s website, documentation, and official blog remain online, with product announcements published in 2026. This record therefore classifies the product as active.