November 20, 2024

What's in your wallet

Hi there,

In the last few weeks:

Stripe dropped a developer tool to enable agents to spend $$ (e.g., access virtual cards)
Coinbase launched the capability to build AI agents with crypto wallets
AI agent payments startup Skyfire raised funding from Coinbase Ventures

What does the activity signal?

To back up, AI agents refer to LLM-based systems that can independently execute workflows.

They’ve seen a massive increase in interest:

$2B+ in funding this year with over half the market players being early-stage
Over 40% have moved past the validating stage of commercial maturity and are actively growing commercial distribution

That includes companies at the infrastructure level, helping companies to build agents.

Until now, their utility has been limited by their inability to make transactions.

So that brings us back to agentic payments — a key trend for 2025.

Here’s what to watch:

Crypto emerges as the first AI payment rail: Early movers Skyfire and Coinbase target agent-to-agent transactions to get around human ID verification needed for credit card transactions.
Established players lead the emerging ecosystem: Coinbase’s and Stripe’s activity are the most notable.
Big tech envisions the future of agent commerce: Both Google and Amazon have discussed shopping-related agent applications.
Before widespread autonomous spending, an “agent trust layer” will be key: Okta and Ping Identity have both in the last month launched offerings that provide AI agents with identities, enabling organizations to authorize and authenticate them.

Trendy

Now, let’s take a higher-level look at our Tech Trends 2025 Report.

It provides a concrete roadmap for corporate leaders to navigate important technology shifts in the year ahead.

For example:

The cyborg wealth advisor: AI is boosting advisor productivity, but barriers to adoption remain. For wealth firms looking to take advantage of AI, we identify the startups that should be top of mind.
The US is leading the AI arms race — for now: While the US dominates in AI, 8 countries outpace the US on AI funding and headcount growth. For orgs eyeing international expansion, we identify these emerging AI hubs.
Disease management enters a new phase with AI: AI is accelerating disease detection, drawing attention from healthcare and big tech powerhouses. For healthcare strategists, we look at investment and partnership opportunities.

Dive into these trends and 12 others — from the future of data centers to crypto’s baby steps — in the full Tech Trends 2025 Report.

Look for the helpers

Robotics companies are rising up to address healthcare staffing issues.

For instance, exoskeleton startup German Bionic is reducing the physical strain on caregivers moving and lifting patients.

Driven by its early success in Europe, it’s aiming to expand to health clinics and nursing homes in the US.

Beyond caregiving, where else are robots having an impact in healthcare? Find out in this research brief.

What happened in Vegas

At ITC Vegas 2024 — an annual conference spotlighting innovation and startups in the insurance industry — over one-third of the 700 exhibitors and sponsors highlighted AI-powered solutions.

CB Insights customers can explore all of the AI-focused sponsors and exhibitors from the conference using this advanced search.

Generative AI took center stage, with applications that enhance underwriting accuracy, streamline claims automation, and improve customer engagement.

The stakes are high.

Insurance companies are increasingly making AI-centered “build, buy, or partner” decisions to gain a competitive edge.

For example, Arch Capital Group collaborated with AI-focused, ITC sponsor Cytora back in August to streamline submission intake for underwriters.

Investopedia. Hiranmayi Srinivasan reports on Elon Musk’s net worth surpassing $300B, using CB Insights research.

Sludge. David Moore (@davidmoore) examines election dynamics citing CB Insights data on big tech companies.

GeekWire. Lisa Stiffler (@lisa_stiffler) reports on how climate tech investors are adapting to Trump's reelection citing CB Insights data.

I love you.

Anand

Co-Founder & Exec Chair

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