The Rise of AI Agents and /dev/agents

Many startups and tech giants are racing to develop AI agents—programs designed to execute complex, multi-step tasks without user intervention. These agents are expected to collaborate seamlessly, performing intricate jobs like booking flights and accommodations.

The Vision Behind /dev/agents

Founded by former Google executives who played pivotal roles in developing Android, /dev/agents aims to create a new operating system specifically for AI agents. Co-founder and CEO David Singleton stated, “Before Android existed, we could all see the promise of mobile, but as a developer, it was just too hard to build anything on mobile. We’re seeing the same thing again with AI.”

Singleton, previously the CTO of Stripe and leader of AndroidWear at Google, emphasizes the need for standardized tools and systems to foster the development of AI agents. His goal is to establish a unified platform that serves as the operating system for the AI landscape.

Innovative Cloud-Based Solutions

/dev/agents plans to unveil a cloud-based operating system that operates across various devices, leveraging generative AI to offer personalized user experiences. Singleton compares their endeavor to the transformative impact of Android on mobile technology.

Significant Investment Round

This week, /dev/agents announced a successful $56 million seed round, led by Index Ventures and co-led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund. Notable tech leaders, including Andrej Karpathy (OpenAI co-founder) and Andy Rubin (Android founder), have also invested, with Rubin taking on an advisory role.

The funding round values the company at $500 million. Investors are optimistic about the imminent arrival of fully functional AI agents, despite acknowledging the current lack of technical infrastructure.

A Stellar Team Behind the Vision

Nina Achadjian, a partner at Index Ventures, expressed her enthusiasm for supporting /dev/agents, citing the complexity of the technical challenge and the exceptional team behind it. The co-founders include Hugo Barra (CPO), former VP of Android at Google, Ficus Kirkpatrick (CTO), a key Android engineer, and Nicholas Jitkoff, a notable designer from Google Chrome.

Jill Chase from CapitalG highlighted the rarity of investing in pre-product companies but emphasized the massive market opportunity and the exceptional team as key factors in their decision.

Looking Ahead

/dev/agents aims to release its first product version by early to mid-next year. Singleton indicates that their business model may mirror Android's approach, featuring potential commerce opportunities on the platform, including revenue from sales percentages or user subscriptions.