Agent Revolution: Saying Goodbye to Mobile Apps with $4.5M in Funding

The AI startup Photon is so sure that agents will eventually come to replace mobile apps that it held a funeral for the latter — yes, a real funeral in a church, with speeches and everything. Photon, which helps developers build agents that work over iMessage and WhatsApp, now has $4.5 million in seed funding to develop its products. The raise comes after the company signed up over 40,000 developers and grew its revenue 10x in just four months, it says.

Photon co-founder and CEO Daniel Tian said the “app funeral,” held in San Francisco on September 17, was also a developer day for the startup, featuring panels from Vercel, Stripe, and OpenAI. It also included an actual coffin for app icons.

The Future of Agent Communication: A-to-A Interaction

In a recent interview, Tian shared his vision of the future, where agents will have the capability to connect with each other seamlessly. This level of communication, known as the A-to-A communication layer, will revolutionize the way we interact with technology.

Imagine a scenario where you’re planning a trip with your AI assistant. Instead of handling everything on its own, the assistant can collaborate with other specialized agents, such as a flight-booking agent or a hotel-booking agent. This collaborative effort will ensure a smoother and more efficient experience for the user.

Tian emphasized the power of observing the agent-to-agent-to-person space, highlighting the potential for enhanced communication and problem-solving capabilities in the digital realm.