Meta to launch OpenClaw rival 'Hatch' within weeks, eyeing $199.99 tier
What's the deal? Meta PlatformsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → plans to launch a consumer AI agent, internally called Hatch, within the next several weeks, and is targeting October for a new AI model dubbed Watermelon, according to internal documents reviewed by The Information. Hatch, Meta's version of the OpenClawDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → AI agent, has been trained to access sites including DoorDash, Etsy, Reddit, Yelp, and Outlook.
How it works: Early prototypes show a customisable dashboard displaying tools built by the agents, such as a fitness tracker or a travel itinerary planner. Documents put Hatch's release in late August or early September.
Why now? Hatch anchors chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's push to monetise Meta's vast AI spending and diversify revenue beyond advertising. Meta has weighed a tiered pricing system, including a premium monthly subscription of up to $199.99 with higher usage limits.
Meta is also preparing a WhatsApp platform that lets users integrate and chat with other AI agents, with a limited rollout targeted as soon as this week. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.
What's the endgame? Meta has accelerated its model releases to close the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic. It unveiled Muse Spark, its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, in April; followed with a coding-focused Muse Spark 1.1 in July; and released Muse Spark 1.2 alongside coding agent Muse Code in August. It is unclear whether Watermelon will join the Muse family or launch standalone.
Meta is running a dual strategy. Alongside proprietary models, it has renewed its open-source commitment, releasing the small open model Muse Glimmer this month, promising an open-weight version of Muse Spark 1.2, and publishing a Zuckerberg essay arguing for broader access to open-source AI.
The signal: Coding and agentic capabilities have become the main battleground among the biggest AI labs. With Hatch, Watermelon, and a WhatsApp agent hub, Meta is betting it can turn AI spending into paying users while keeping a foot in the open-source camp.
Read more: The Information
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
