The Modular Future: How OpenAI Agents Signal a New Unbundling of Software Workflows
PLUS: Former Nextdoor-acquired Founder Building Something New
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Venture Radar
The Modular Future: How OpenAI Agents Signal a New Unbundling of Software Workflows
The release of OpenAI Agents marks more than just a feature update - it signals a deeper evolution in how software tasks are being abstracted, delegated, and ultimately monetized. Much like serverless infrastructure redefined backend deployment, Agents represent the next frontier: discrete, task-specific automations that slot seamlessly into existing workflows. The shift isn’t just technical - it’s strategic.
Where most AI product rollouts aim to showcase raw capability, OpenAI Agents quietly introduce a new platform logic: modular labor orchestration. Instead of requiring users to prompt a generalist model for every task, Agents act like autonomous microservices - each with its own context window, memory loop, and API muscle. This unbundles the monolith of user interaction and distributes it across a new surface area: the agent layer.
The implications for SaaS are profound. Agents turn software usage from product-centric to task-centric. In doing so, they create atomic units of value that can be monetized, customized, and scaled independently. An invoicing Agent isn’t just a chatbot - it’s a programmable function that could replace entire vertical SaaS workflows. Over time, expect marketplaces of composable agents tuned to specific jobs, domains, or industries - essentially a new API economy, but for cognitive labor.
The go-to-market design is also telling. OpenAI didn’t launch with flashy partnerships or enterprise integrations. Instead, they dropped the primitive tools and left the scaffolding open. This suggests confidence in emergent behavior and a belief that the best agents will be user-built. It's an inversion of the old build-first-sell-later model - here, distribution precedes specialization.
Crucially, this modularity mirrors recent M&A behavior in the AI space. Just as Cognition AI acquired only the IP from Windsurf after Google took the team, the future of software may be equally “pick-and-place.” Instead of full-suite acquisitions, we’ll see organizations integrating discrete agent workflows into legacy stacks - surgical upgrades instead of wholesale replacements.
What we’re witnessing is the early infrastructure of what could become a cognitive operating layer for the enterprise: decentralized, composable, and tailored. If LLMs are the engines, Agents are becoming the interface layer - automating not just how we write, but how we work.
While the full impact will take time to unfold, the strategic clarity is already here: the future of software isn’t bundled - it’s composable. And Agents are the first serious attempt to rewire how humans and machines divide labor across the digital stack.
Geeks of the Week
Startup Name: Waverly AI
Geography: US
One-liner: Accelerating the most time-consuming workflows, enabling professionals to focus on what really matters.
Founder(s) Background: Head of Finance at SuperAnnotate (Series B), Senior Associate at TPG, Software Engineer at IronClad.
Thoughts:
Strategic Unbundling of Analyst Workflows: Waverly is systematically decomposing core functions in the investment process - sourcing, diligence, and outreach - and rebuilding them as AI-native workflows. This unbundling allows for modular automation, reducing reliance on bloated platforms and junior headcount while improving precision and velocity of execution.
Vertical AI Play in a High-Value Workflow: Rather than building a general-purpose search or LLM tool, Waverly targets a highly monetizable, high-frequency workflow within PE and growth equity. By embedding AI directly into deal origination and memo prep, it aligns with where firms spend the most analyst hours - making adoption not just useful, but ROI-driven from day one.
Founder(s) building in stealth
Deals of the Week
Delve - $32M Series A: An AI‑driven compliance platform helping startups manage regulatory frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR. Led by Insight Partners, the funding enables rapid scaling to meet surging audit automation demand.
Asylon - $26M Series B: Deploys autonomous security drones and robotic guard dogs for enterprise and government clients. Funded by Insight Partners and others, the round supports scaling both product and go‑to‑market presence amidst rising physical-security automation trends.
Memories.ai - $8M Seed: AI platform for indexing and searching massive video libraries - backed by Susa Ventures and Samsung Next, targeting creators and enterprise video archives.
Volca - $5.5M Seed: AI marketing tool tailored to home services businesses. Early traction shows rapid monetization among local service providers.
BlinkOps - $50M Series B (July 28): Another strong late-stage AI player raising large capital to scale infrastructure and product reach.
Dropzone AI - $37M Series B: Focused on AI-powered security operations, securing Series B funding led by Theory Ventures.
Positron AI - $51.6M Series A: Developer of US-designed semiconductors and AI inference hardware, funded to build local compute capability and reduce dependency on foreign tech
HeroDevs - $125M Strategic Growth: Enterprise tooling specialist in securing and modernizing legacy open-source software stacks, backed by PSG and Redpoint.
LegalOn Technologies - $50M Series E: Legal AI startup focused on contract automation and enterprise onboarding, nearing a $200M total raise.
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