Sapiom raises $15M to help AI agents buy their own tech tools

People without technical or coding experience are increasingly realising that they can build custom applications through Vibe coding platforms—tools such as Lovable that convert plain-language prompts into functional software.

While these prompt-to-code solutions are effective for creating early-stage prototypes, scaling them to full production can quickly become complex. As this reporter recently experienced, developers must still address the challenge of integrating applications with external services, including platforms for sending SMS messages, handling email delivery,  and processing payments via services such as Stripe.

Ilan Zerbib, who previously served as Shopify’s director of engineering for payments for five years, is developing a platform designed to address back-end infrastructure challenges for nontechnical builders.

Last summer, Zerbib launched Sapiom, a San Francisco–based startup focused on building a financial layer that enables AI agents to purchase securely and access software, APIs, data, and computing power. In effect, the company is creating a payment infrastructure that allows AI systems to acquire the tools and services they need to operate automatically.

Whenever an AI agent connects to an external service, such as Twilio, for SMS messaging, authentication on each interaction incurs a small fee. Sapiom aims to make this entire process invisible, enabling the AI agent to determine what to purchase and when—without requiring human involvement.

“In the future, applications will consume services that require payments, and right now there’s no simple way for agents to access all of that,” said Amit Kumar, a partner at Accel.

Kumar said he has evaluated dozens of startups working on AI-focused payments, but believes Zerbib’s emphasis on enterprise-grade financial infrastructure — rather than consumer-facing tools — is what will ultimately allow AI agents to operate effectively. As a result, Accel is leading Sapiom’s $15 million seed funding round, joined by Okta Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Array Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Anthropic, and Coinbase Ventures.

“If you really break it down, every API call is a payment. Sending a text message is a payment. Spinning up a server on AWS is a payment,” Kumar told TechCrunch.

Although Sapiom is still in its early stages, the company expects its infrastructure to be adopted by vibe-coding platforms and by businesses developing AI agents that will increasingly operate independently.

For instance, someone who builds an app with SMS functionality using Vibebe coding no longer needs to create an account manually, add a card, or insert API keys into their code. Instead, Sapiom manages these steps behind the scenes, while the app creator is billed for Twilio’s services as a pass-through cost by platforms such as Lovable, Bolt, or other vibe-coding tools.

While Sapiom is currently focused on business-to-business use cases, its technology could eventually support personal AI agents handling consumer transactions. Over time, people may trust AI systems to make independent purchasing decisions, such as ordering rides through Uber or shopping on Amazon. While that vision is compelling, Zerbib does not believe AI alone will increase consumer spending; therefore, he remains focused on building enterprise financial infrastructure.