Best of 2024 #3 – VC Pitch: PayPal for Agents – Skyfire Powers AI-to-AI Commerce at Scale

As we head into 2025, we're looking back on our most popular episodes of 2024. This episode was originally published on October 30, 2024.

Are you ready for a world where AI agents can autonomously make purchases and monetize their services? How will commerce and payments evolve as intelligent software agents become ubiquitous?

In this episode, Chris Saad is joined by Amir Sarhangi and Craig DeWitt, co-founders of Skyfire, to explore the cutting-edge intersection of AI, payments, and open protocols.

They discuss Skyfire's mission to become the "Visa for AI" by enabling seamless financial transactions between autonomous agents.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover how Skyfire is building an open protocol for AI agent payments
• Learn about the challenges of creating a new payments network for machine-to-machine transactions
• Understand Skyfire's strategy for solving the "chicken and egg" problem of supply and demand
• Explore potential use cases for agent-to-agent payments in areas like data access, marketing, and recruiting
• Gain insights into Skyfire's business model and approach to monetization
• Hear the founders' vision for how AI agents will transform internet commerce

Special Thanks to Llama Lounge - the #1 AI event - for introducing us to to these founders.

Learn more about the startup

Skyfire Website: ⁠https://skyfire.xyz/⁠

Follow Amir Sarhangi on Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/asarhangi/⁠

Follow Craig DeWitt on Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdewitt/⁠

The Pact

Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.tsp.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow us on YouTube at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.

Key links

• The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.vanta.com/tsp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Get your question in for our next Q&A episode:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• The Startup Podcast website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tsp.show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://chrissaad.com/advisory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Chris on Linkedin:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits

Editor:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin McArthur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Content Strategist: Carolina Franco ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/⁠

Intro Voice:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeremiah Owyang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠