memU

24/7 Always-On Proactive Memory for AI Agents

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memU is a memory framework built for 24/7 proactive agents. It is designed for long-running use and greatly reduces the LLM token cost of keeping agents always online, making always-on, evolving agents practical in production systems. memU continuously captures and understands user intent. Even without a command, the agent can tell what you are about to do and act on it by itself.

🤖 OpenClaw Alternative

memU Bot — Now open source. The enterprise-ready OpenClaw. Your proactive AI assistant that remembers everything.

Download-and-use and simple to get started (one-click install, < 3 min).
Builds long-term memory to understand user intent and act proactively (24/7).
Cuts LLM token cost with smaller context (~1/10 of comparable usage).

Try now: memu.bot · Source: memUBot on GitHub

🗃️ Memory as File System, File System as Memory

memU treats memory like a file system—structured, hierarchical, and instantly accessible.

File System	memU Memory
📁 Folders	🏷️ Categories (auto-organized topics)
📄 Files	🧠 Memory Items (extracted facts, preferences, skills)
🔗 Symlinks	🔄 Cross-references (related memories linked)
📂 Mount points	📥 Resources (conversations, documents, images)

Why this matters:

Navigate memories like browsing directories—drill down from broad categories to specific facts
Mount new knowledge instantly—conversations and documents become queryable memory
Cross-link everything—memories reference each other, building a connected knowledge graph
Persistent & portable—export, backup, and transfer memory like files

memory/
├── preferences/
│ ├── communication_style.md
│ └── topic_interests.md
├── relationships/
│ ├── contacts/
│ └── interaction_history/
├── knowledge/
│ ├── domain_expertise/
│ └── learned_skills/
└── context/
├── recent_conversations/
└── pending_tasks/

Just as a file system turns raw bytes into organized data, memU transforms raw interactions into structured, searchable, proactive intelligence.

⭐️ Star the repository

If you find memU useful or interesting, a GitHub Star ⭐️ would be greatly appreciated.

✨ Core Features

Capability	Description
🤖 24/7 Proactive Agent	Always-on memory agent that works continuously in the background
🎯 User Intention Capture	Understands and remembers user goals, preferences, and context across sessions automatically
💰 Cost Efficient	Reduces long-running token costs by caching insights and avoiding redundant LLM calls

🔄 How Proactive Memory Works

cd examples/proactive
python proactive.py

Proactive Memory Lifecycle

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ USER QUERY │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🤖 MAIN AGENT │ │ 🧠 MEMU BOT │
│ │ │ │
│ Handle user queries & execute tasks │ ◄───► │ Monitor, memorize & proactive intelligence │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 1. RECEIVE USER INPUT │ │ │ │ 1. MONITOR INPUT/OUTPUT │ │
│ │ Parse query, understand │ │ ───► │ │ Observe agent interactions │ │
│ │ context and intent │ │ │ │ Track conversation flow │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 2. PLAN & EXECUTE │ │ │ │ 2. MEMORIZE & EXTRACT │ │
│ │ Break down tasks │ │ ◄─── │ │ Store insights, facts, preferences │ │
│ │ Call tools, retrieve data │ │ inject │ │ Extract skills & knowledge │ │
│ │ Generate responses │ │ memory │ │ Update user profile │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 3. RESPOND TO USER │ │ │ │ 3. PREDICT USER INTENT │ │
│ │ Deliver answer/result │ │ ───► │ │ Anticipate next steps │ │
│ │ Continue conversation │ │ │ │ Identify upcoming needs │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 4. LOOP │ │ │ │ 4. RUN PROACTIVE TASKS │ │
│ │ Wait for next user input │ │ ◄─── │ │ Pre-fetch relevant context │ │
│ │ or proactive suggestions │ │ suggest│ │ Prepare recommendations │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ Update todolist autonomously │ │
│ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ │
└───────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ CONTINUOUS SYNC LOOP │
│ Agent ◄──► MemU Bot ◄──► DB │
└──────────────────────────────┘

🎯 Proactive Use Cases

1. Information Recommendation

Agent monitors interests and proactively surfaces relevant content

# User has been researching AI topicsMemUtracks: readinghistory, savedarticles, searchqueries# When new content arrives:Agent: "Ifound3newpapersonRAGoptimizationthatalignwithyourrecentresearchonretrievalsystems. Oneauthor
(Dr. Chen) you'vecitedbeforepublishedyesterday."
# Proactive behaviors:-Learnstopicpreferencesfrombrowsingpatterns-Tracksauthor/sourcecredibilitypreferences-Filtersnoisebasedonengagementhistory-Timesrecommendationsforoptimalattention

2. Email Management

Agent learns communication patterns and handles routine correspondence

# MemU observes email patterns over time:-Responsetemplatesforcommonscenarios-Prioritycontactsandurgentkeywords-Schedulingpreferencesandavailability-Writingstyleandtonevariations# Proactive email assistance:Agent: "Youhave12newemails. I'vedraftedresponsesfor3routinerequestsandflagged2urgentitemsfromyourprioritycontacts.
ShouldIalsorescheduletomorrow'smeetingbasedontheconflictJohnmentioned?"
# Autonomous actions:
✓ Draftcontext-awarereplies
✓ Categorizeandprioritizeinbox
✓ Detectschedulingconflicts
✓ Summarizelongthreadswithkeydecisions

3. Trading & Financial Monitoring

Agent tracks market context and user investment behavior

# MemU learns trading preferences:-Risktolerancefromhistoricaldecisions-Preferredsectorsandassetclasses-Responsepatternstomarketevents-Portfoliorebalancingtriggers# Proactive alerts:Agent: "NVDAdropped5%inafter-hourstrading. Basedonyourpastbehavior, youtypicallybuytechdipsabove3%. Yourcurrentallocationallowsfor $2,000additionalexposurewhilemaintainingyour70/30equity-bondtarget."
# Continuous monitoring:-Trackpricealertstiedtouser-definedthresholds-Correlatenewseventswithportfolioimpact-Learnfromexecutedvs. ignoredrecommendations-Anticipatetax-lossharvestingopportunities

...

🗂️ Hierarchical Memory Architecture

MemU's three-layer system enables both reactive queries and proactive context loading:

Layer	Reactive Use	Proactive Use
Resource	Direct access to original data	Background monitoring for new patterns
Item	Targeted fact retrieval	Real-time extraction from ongoing interactions
Category	Summary-level overview	Automatic context assembly for anticipation

Proactive Benefits:

Auto-categorization: New memories self-organize into topics
Pattern Detection: System identifies recurring themes
Context Prediction: Anticipates what information will be needed next

🚀 Quick Start

Option 1: Cloud Version

Experience proactive memory instantly:

👉 memu.so - Hosted service with 7×24 continuous learning

For enterprise deployment with custom proactive workflows, contact info@nevamind.ai

Cloud API (v3)

Base URL	`https://api.memu.so`
Auth	`Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY`

Method	Endpoint	Description
`POST`	`/api/v3/memory/memorize`	Register continuous learning task
`GET`	`/api/v3/memory/memorize/status/{task_id}`	Check real-time processing status
`POST`	`/api/v3/memory/categories`	List auto-generated categories
`POST`	`/api/v3/memory/retrieve`	Query memory (supports proactive context loading)

📚 Full API Documentation

Option 2: Self-Hosted

Installation

pip install -e .

Basic Example

Requirements: Python 3.13+ and an OpenAI API key

Test Continuous Learning (in-memory):

export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
cd tests
python test_inmemory.py

Test with Persistent Storage (PostgreSQL):

# Start PostgreSQL with pgvector
docker run -d \
--name memu-postgres \
-e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_DB=memu \
-p 5432:5432 \
pgvector/pgvector:pg16
# Run continuous learning testexport OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
cd tests
python test_postgres.py

Both examples demonstrate proactive memory workflows:

Continuous Ingestion: Process multiple files sequentially
Auto-Extraction: Immediate memory creation
Proactive Retrieval: Context-aware memory surfacing

See tests/test_inmemory.py and tests/test_postgres.py for implementation details.

Custom LLM and Embedding Providers

MemU supports custom LLM and embedding providers beyond OpenAI. Configure them via llm_profiles:

frommemuimportMemUServiceservice=MemUService(
llm_profiles={
# Default profile for LLM operations"default": {
"base_url": "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1",
"api_key": "your_api_key",
"chat_model": "qwen3-max",
"client_backend": "sdk"# "sdk" or "http"
},
# Separate profile for embeddings"embedding": {
"base_url": "https://api.voyageai.com/v1",
"api_key": "your_voyage_api_key",
"embed_model": "voyage-3.5-lite"
}
},
# ... other configuration
)

OpenRouter Integration

MemU supports OpenRouter as a model provider, giving you access to multiple LLM providers through a single API.

Configuration

frommemuimportMemoryServiceservice=MemoryService(
llm_profiles={
"default": {
"provider": "openrouter",
"client_backend": "httpx",
"base_url": "https://openrouter.ai",
"api_key": "your_openrouter_api_key",
"chat_model": "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet", # Any OpenRouter model"embed_model": "openai/text-embedding-3-small", # Embedding model
},
},
database_config={
"metadata_store": {"provider": "inmemory"},
},
)

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`	Your OpenRouter API key from openrouter.ai/keys

Supported Features

Feature	Status	Notes
Chat Completions	Supported	Works with any OpenRouter chat model
Embeddings	Supported	Use OpenAI embedding models via OpenRouter
Vision	Supported	Use vision-capable models (e.g., `openai/gpt-4o`)

Running OpenRouter Tests

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_api_key
# Full workflow test (memorize + retrieve)
python tests/test_openrouter.py
# Embedding-specific tests
python tests/test_openrouter_embedding.py
# Vision-specific tests
python tests/test_openrouter_vision.py

See examples/example_4_openrouter_memory.py for a complete working example.

📖 Core APIs

`memorize()` - Continuous Learning Pipeline

Processes inputs in real-time and immediately updates memory:

result=awaitservice.memorize(
resource_url="path/to/file.json", # File path or URLmodality="conversation", # conversation | document | image | video | audiouser={"user_id": "123"} # Optional: scope to a user
)
# Returns immediately with extracted memory:
{
"resource": {...}, # Stored resource metadata"items": [...], # Extracted memory items (available instantly)"categories": [...] # Auto-updated category structure
}

Proactive Features:

Zero-delay processing—memories available immediately
Automatic categorization without manual tagging
Cross-reference with existing memories for pattern detection

`retrieve()` - Dual-Mode Intelligence

MemU supports both proactive context loading and reactive querying:

RAG-based Retrieval (`method="rag"`)

Fast proactive context assembly using embeddings:

✅ Instant context: Sub-second memory surfacing
✅ Background monitoring: Can run continuously without LLM costs
✅ Similarity scoring: Identifies most relevant memories automatically

LLM-based Retrieval (`method="llm"`)

Deep anticipatory reasoning for complex contexts:

✅ Intent prediction: LLM infers what user needs before they ask
✅ Query evolution: Automatically refines search as context develops
✅ Early termination: Stops when sufficient context is gathered

Comparison

Aspect	RAG (Fast Context)	LLM (Deep Reasoning)
Speed	⚡ Milliseconds	🐢 Seconds
Cost	💰 Embedding only	💰💰 LLM inference
Proactive use	Continuous monitoring	Triggered context loading
Best for	Real-time suggestions	Complex anticipation

Usage

# Proactive retrieval with context historyresult=awaitservice.retrieve(
queries=[
{"role": "user", "content": {"text": "What are their preferences?"}},
{"role": "user", "content": {"text": "Tell me about work habits"}}
],
where={"user_id": "123"}, # Optional: scope filtermethod="rag"# or "llm" for deeper reasoning
)
# Returns context-aware results:
{
"categories": [...], # Relevant topic areas (auto-prioritized)"items": [...], # Specific memory facts"resources": [...], # Original sources for traceability"next_step_query": "..."# Predicted follow-up context
}

Proactive Filtering: Use where to scope continuous monitoring:

where={"user_id": "123"} - User-specific context
where={"agent_id__in": ["1", "2"]} - Multi-agent coordination
Omit where for global context awareness

💡 Proactive Scenarios

Example 1: Always-Learning Assistant

Continuously learns from every interaction without explicit memory commands:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
python examples/example_1_conversation_memory.py

Proactive Behavior:

Automatically extracts preferences from casual mentions
Builds relationship models from interaction patterns
Surfaces relevant context in future conversations
Adapts communication style based on learned preferences

Best for: Personal AI assistants, customer support that remembers, social chatbots

Example 2: Self-Improving Agent

Learns from execution logs and proactively suggests optimizations:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
python examples/example_2_skill_extraction.py

Proactive Behavior:

Monitors agent actions and outcomes continuously
Identifies patterns in successes and failures
Auto-generates skill guides from experience
Proactively suggests strategies for similar future tasks

Best for: DevOps automation, agent self-improvement, knowledge capture

Example 3: Multimodal Context Builder

Unifies memory across different input types for comprehensive context:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
python examples/example_3_multimodal_memory.py

Proactive Behavior:

Cross-references text, images, and documents automatically
Builds unified understanding across modalities
Surfaces visual context when discussing related topics
Anticipates information needs by combining multiple sources

Best for: Documentation systems, learning platforms, research assistants

📊 Performance

MemU achieves 92.09% average accuracy on the Locomo benchmark across all reasoning tasks, demonstrating reliable proactive memory operations.

View detailed experimental data: memU-experiment

🧩 Ecosystem

Repository	Description	Proactive Features
memU	Core proactive memory engine	7×24 learning pipeline, auto-categorization
memU-server	Backend with continuous sync	Real-time memory updates, webhook triggers
memU-ui	Visual memory dashboard	Live memory evolution monitoring

Quick Links:

🤝 Partners

🤝 How to Contribute

We welcome contributions from the community! Whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or improving documentation, your help is appreciated.

Getting Started

To start contributing to MemU, you'll need to set up your development environment:

Prerequisites

Python 3.13+
uv (Python package manager)
Git

Setup Development Environment

# 1. Fork and clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/memU.git
cd memU
# 2. Install development dependencies
make install

The make install command will:

Create a virtual environment using uv
Install all project dependencies
Set up pre-commit hooks for code quality checks

Running Quality Checks

Before submitting your contribution, ensure your code passes all quality checks:

make check

The make check command runs:

Lock file verification: Ensures pyproject.toml consistency
Pre-commit hooks: Lints code with Ruff, formats with Black
Type checking: Runs mypy for static type analysis
Dependency analysis: Uses deptry to find obsolete dependencies

Contributing Guidelines

For detailed contribution guidelines, code standards, and development practices, please see CONTRIBUTING.md.

Quick tips:

Create a new branch for each feature or bug fix
Write clear commit messages
Add tests for new functionality
Update documentation as needed
Run make check before pushing

📄 License

Apache License 2.0

🌍 Community

GitHub Issues: Report bugs & request features
Discord: Join the community
X (Twitter): Follow @memU_ai
Contact: info@nevamind.ai

⭐ Star us on GitHub to get notified about new releases!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github		.github
assets		assets
docs		docs
examples		examples
readme		readme
src		src
tests		tests
.gitignore		.gitignore
.pre-commit-config.yaml		.pre-commit-config.yaml
.python-version		.python-version
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
Cargo.lock		Cargo.lock
Cargo.toml		Cargo.toml
LICENSE.txt		LICENSE.txt
MANIFEST.in		MANIFEST.in
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
pyproject.toml		pyproject.toml
setup.cfg		setup.cfg
uv.lock		uv.lock

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memU

24/7 Always-On Proactive Memory for AI Agents

🤖 OpenClaw Alternative

🗃️ Memory as File System, File System as Memory

⭐️ Star the repository

✨ Core Features

🔄 How Proactive Memory Works

Proactive Memory Lifecycle

🎯 Proactive Use Cases

1. Information Recommendation

2. Email Management

3. Trading & Financial Monitoring

🗂️ Hierarchical Memory Architecture

🚀 Quick Start

Option 1: Cloud Version

Cloud API (v3)

Option 2: Self-Hosted

Installation

Basic Example

Custom LLM and Embedding Providers

OpenRouter Integration

Configuration

Environment Variables

Supported Features

Running OpenRouter Tests

📖 Core APIs

memorize() - Continuous Learning Pipeline

retrieve() - Dual-Mode Intelligence

RAG-based Retrieval (method="rag")

LLM-based Retrieval (method="llm")

Comparison

Usage

💡 Proactive Scenarios

Example 1: Always-Learning Assistant

Example 2: Self-Improving Agent

Example 3: Multimodal Context Builder

📊 Performance

🧩 Ecosystem

🤝 Partners

🤝 How to Contribute

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Setup Development Environment

Running Quality Checks

Contributing Guidelines

📄 License

🌍 Community

About

Resources

Contributing

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`memorize()` - Continuous Learning Pipeline

`retrieve()` - Dual-Mode Intelligence

RAG-based Retrieval (`method="rag"`)

LLM-based Retrieval (`method="llm"`)