We have reached a point in the AI lifecycle where many new applications follow an “X meets Y” model. For instance, several companies are already releasing apps that combine AI with the short-form video format of TikTok. Now, the Berlin- and New York-based startup Deta is combining AI browsers with a tool similar to Google’s NotebookLM in a new knowledge management application called Surf.
Deta Surf, which is launching in beta today, functions as both a browser and a research tool. It allows you to create notebooks on different topics. You can use AI to get a summary of a topic based on your prompt. The result is a summary report formatted in a document similar to Notion, which you can then edit.
Since the core application is a browser, you can open URLs and surf the web. While browsing, you can summarize and extract key insights from web pages, PDFs, and YouTube videos. Users can reference multiple tabs for the AI chatbot, using them as context, and ask questions about them.
Additionally, Deta Surf can generate code. You can ask the tool to create mini apps, interactive graphs, or charts for your notebook. You can also add any of the AI’s output to a specific notebook. Most modern AI browsers allow users to use tabs as context, and a few also have the ability to generate small code snippets.
Deta was founded in 2019 with the goal of building a new operating system using an infinite white canvas. However, the company discontinued that product in 2023 and began working on an AI browser. The company’s co-founder, Max Eusterbrock, said they explored different browser interfaces but realized that pursuing that direction was a bad idea. He explained that during a year in Alpha, they realized AI browsers are becoming tools for machines to navigate hypertext designed for humans.
Eusterbrock added that the startup believes an interface where you cannot edit anything is not a good design for human-machine interaction. While the product functions much like a browser, the startup considers NotebookLM a direct competitor. Eusterbrock believes that because Surf provides context with tabs and keeps data locally to allow offline work on notebooks, it is a better-suited product for students and researchers.
The company has made the tool available for free and is working on an image generation feature. In the future, it may develop a premium subscription that would include features like cloud backup, collaboration, and multi-device clients.
In 2023, Deta raised 3.6 million dollars in a seed round led by Crane Venture Partners, with participation from several other firms. Since then, the company has raised an additional 500,000 dollars in funding from existing and new investors.