Composite Receives Funding for Cross-Browser Agent Tool

The Rise of Cross-Browser AI Agents for Professionals

New AI-powered browsers, such as Perplexity’s Comet, Opera’s Neon, and The Browser Company’s Dia, are designed to streamline daily tasks. However, these solutions are typically confined to a single browser environment. Composite, a new startup, is developing an agentic system intended to assist professionals with their work, irrespective of their preferred browser.

Founding and Core Problem

Composite was founded earlier this year by Yang Fan Yun and Charlie Deane. Yun previously held a product management role at Uber, and Deane is the founder of a server proxy company. Yun observed that a significant amount of time was spent on repetitive browser-based tasks by employees across various departments.

“Individuals in roles like marketing, sales, recruitment, and security engineering were consistently engaged in tedious, manual work within their browsers,” Yun explained to TechCrunch. “This prevented them from fully utilizing their skills and education, and I aimed to automate these processes simply and effectively.”

Seed Funding and Investment

The company recently announced the successful completion of a $5.6 million seed funding round. This round was led by NFDG, the venture firm of Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, with additional participation from Menlo Ventures and Anthropic’s Anthology Fund.

How Composite Works

Currently, Composite offers solutions for both Mac and Windows operating systems. Installation is straightforward, requiring only the installation of a browser extension to enable agent functionality. Users can then issue commands across various web-based tools, and Composite will execute the necessary actions.

For example, the system can analyze a Jira bug backlog, utilizing relevant documentation to provide context, add comments to critical bugs, and resolve duplicate issues.

Use Cases Across Industries

Composite highlights several potential applications. Recruiters can leverage the tool to search for candidates across multiple platforms and create personalized email drafts. Security engineers can generate vulnerability tickets based on security alerts, and marketers can consolidate reports from diverse sources to produce concise insights.

Differentiating from Existing AI Browsers

Yun emphasizes that existing AI browsers and agents, like those from OpenAI and Perplexity, primarily address consumer-focused needs, such as shopping assistance and travel booking.

“We provide an optimal solution for professionals who desire to automate their workflows without requiring specialized technical expertise. Composite excels at performing precise actions, such as clicking website elements or entering data, effectively completing tasks for our users,” he stated.

Security and Accessibility

Because the agents operate within the user’s existing browser sessions, Composite doesn’t require connectors and can function seamlessly across different websites.

Future Development

The tool currently suggests tasks based on user behavior. The company plans to enhance its ability to proactively identify and suggest tasks that Composite can automate on the user’s behalf. Development is also underway to enable scheduled task execution for recurring needs.

Composite asserts its suitability for professional use due to its ability to operate across browsers, allow administrative control over tool access, execute tasks locally, and enable users to define website restrictions.

Competitive Landscape

The market for AI-powered professional assistance is becoming increasingly competitive. Companies like OpenAI utilize their own browser for task execution, while Notion integrates with connectors and in-app context. Highlight, backed by General Catalyst, aims to leverage the entire desktop environment as context, and numerous startups are focusing on specific applications, such as spreadsheet automation.

Many of these startups are in their early stages, and the long-term efficiency of AI agents remains a key question. Investors are showing interest, but these companies must demonstrate tangible value to justify the investment.

Investor Confidence

Matt Kraning, a partner at Menlo Ventures, expressed confidence in Composite’s potential. He told TechCrunch that the tool is remarkably intuitive for professionals, even those without extensive technical knowledge.

“Composite effectively manages diverse data types and websites, and it is specifically designed with professional use cases in mind. The tool is ideally suited for individuals who handle a large volume of tasks across various functions daily,” he concluded.