Natural Raises $30 Million to Build AI Payment Infrastructure and Challenge Stripe

Artificial intelligence agents are becoming increasingly capable of completing complex business tasks independently, from sourcing suppliers and negotiating prices to organising deliveries. However, one major obstacle remains: making payments without human intervention. Startup Natural believes it has the solution and has secured $30 million in new funding to develop payment infrastructure specifically designed for autonomous AI agents.

The company’s latest Series A financing brings its total funding to $40 million and positions Natural to compete directly with established payment providers such as Stripe. Rather than adapting traditional financial systems, the startup is building an entirely new payments framework designed for software agents that can send, receive and manage funds autonomously.

Modern payment systems were built for humans, not AI

Today’s financial infrastructure relies on payment rails that were designed around human approval and oversight. Traditional systems such as credit cards and Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers require manual authorisation, creating delays that limit the ability of AI agents to operate independently in commercial transactions.

Natural co-founder and chief executive Kahlil Lalji recognised this challenge about a year ago as AI agents rapidly evolved beyond the capabilities of existing payment systems. He concluded that autonomous software would eventually require an entirely new financial architecture capable of supporting agent-to-agent transactions, automated vendor payments and independent fund management.

Lalji brings significant fintech experience to the venture. Before launching Natural in 2025 alongside co-founders Eric Wang and Walt Leung, he founded Ivella, a Y Combinator-backed financial platform for couples that was acquired by Earnin in 2023. Although he initially planned to avoid returning to financial technology, he said the opportunity presented by AI-powered payments proved impossible to ignore.

Building the financial backbone for AI agents

Natural positions itself as an orchestration layer that allows AI agents to move, receive and store money securely. By integrating the platform into their applications, businesses can enable AI systems to complete financial transactions with both humans and other autonomous agents without requiring manual approval at every step.

The company’s vision attracted Forerunner founder and managing partner Kirsten Green, whose venture capital firm led the $30 million funding round. Green said Natural’s ambitions extend well beyond enabling AI-powered checkouts, with the company seeking to redesign broader payment infrastructure, including how disputed transactions could be handled in an AI-driven economy.

Competition with Stripe and emerging fintech rivals

Although Natural has so far operated primarily in beta, Lalji believes the startup has now established the core architectural foundation needed to compete with major incumbents, including Stripe, which is also investing heavily in payment systems for AI agents. The company has also recruited experienced employees from fintech firms including Stripe, Ramp and Square to accelerate development.

Natural faces competition from several startups pursuing similar goals. Companies such as Skyfire Systems are building AI payment platforms based on USD-backed stablecoins. Natural plans to support stablecoins as part of its infrastructure while continuing to integrate traditional banking systems, giving businesses greater flexibility when adopting autonomous payment technology.

Lalji believes the emergence of AI-native payment systems could dramatically expand the number of financial transactions taking place worldwide. As software agents begin operating continuously at computer speed rather than human speed, he expects global payment volumes to increase by several orders of magnitude, creating an entirely new market for AI-driven financial infrastructure.