Preface

While a single definition of AI ‘agents’ remains elusive, many startups are keen to develop tools enabling these agents to automate online tasks effectively. One company making significant strides in this space is Browser Use. It has sparked notable interest among developers and investors by creating web solutions that render websites more digestible for AI agents.

Lazy bag

Key developments in AI enable Browser Use to enhance website readability for AI agents, attracting $17M in seed funding. It leads the AI agent market steps forward.

Main Body

Despite the lack of a unified definition for AI ‘agents’, numerous startups are striving to develop tools that assist these agents in autonomously executing online tasks. Browser Use is one such startup, recently gaining traction among developers and investors with its innovative approach to web interaction for AI agents.

Browser Use disclosed to TechCrunch its success in raising a $17 million seed funding round led by Felicis’ Astasia Myers. The round also saw participation from Paul Graham, A Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, marking a significant achievement that had yet to be reported before. Notably, Browser Use is part of Y Combinator’s 2025 winter batch, a testimony to its growing prominence.

The tool made by Magnus Müller and Gregor Zunic remarkably stands out. Originated from their collaboration at ETH Zurich’s Student Project House Accelerator, they combined web scraping and data science to offer AI a more navigable web interface. This tool dissects website elements into a text-like format that AI agents can readily comprehend, thus transforming the navigation experience for these agents.

According to Müller, conventional AI agents often grapple with navigating websites using vision systems, which entail interpreting screenshots—a process prone to errors. Browser Use addresses this by converting websites into a readable format for agents, ensuring tasks can be executed reliably and repeatedly at a lower cost.

The utility of Browser Use has garnered recognition across multiple AI companies focused on improving agent-website interaction. Moreover, Müller anticipates that Browser Use will serve as a foundational layer in this emerging domain, as evidenced by its adoption by over 20 companies in the Y Combinator winter batch.

Many businesses approach Browser Use seeking ways to optimize their sites for AI agent navigation, especially on dynamic platforms like LinkedIn, which frequently alter their interface, presenting navigational challenges for AI tools.

Felicis has been closely monitoring the AI agents space over the years, identifying Browser Use as a lucrative investment opportunity that aligns with their portfolio’s growth strategy. Myers emphasized that the founding team’s commitment to an open-source-first model greatly influenced their decision. She highlighted the rising relevance of web AI agents in achieving end-to-end automation of human tasks within the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Key Insights Table