MiniMax’s Talkie chatbot app was the fourth most downloaded AI application in the United States in the first half of 2024, according to Sensor Tower.

The app beat its competitor Character.ai, backed by Google.

Companion AI apps are particularly popular among younger users, with those aged 18-35 accounting for more than 70% of the user base for top apps like Character.ai, Talkie, Linky AI, and HiWaifu.

Globally, Talkie achieved 17 million downloads in the first eight months of 2024. This is slightly less than Character.ai’s 19 million.

MiniMax, based in Shanghai, is expected to earn approximately US$70 million in 2024 from its avatar chatbot platform, according to The Financial Times.