M13 vs Sequoia Capital

What Is Agentic Identity? Meet Baselayer, the Identity Infrastructure for AI Agents

M13 announces fundraising for Baselayer, an identity infrastructure for AI agents, with a dedicated article published on September 22, 2026.

Investors Are Betting on AI Agents That Shop for You

Venture capitalists are increasingly funding startups building AI agents that can shop on behalf of consumers and handle payments. The article maps the emerging market for "agentic commerce," covering personal assistants like Instinct and Town, shopping search tools like Daydream, payment infrastructure startups like Catena Labs and Basis Theory, and marketing tech such as Profound. Major platforms are also moving: OpenAI and Stripe launched the Agentic Commerce Protocol, Google operates the Agent Payments Protocol, and Visa and Mastercard introduced Trusted Agent Protocol and Agent Pay. However, the space faces trust and fraud challenges, illustrated by Phia's cookie-stuffing scandal and an Instinct agent error that cost a user around $300. Investor interest remains strong, with millions raised across the sector, even as enterprise adoption lags due to compliance and security concerns.

• Adobe Analytics reported that 41% of respondents used AI for online shopping in June 2026.
• OpenAI and Stripe launched the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), while Google operates the Agent Payments Protocol.
• Profound raised $96 million in Series C funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Healthleap Raises $38M for AI-Powered Hospital Patient Screening

Healthleap, a startup using AI to analyze patient records, has raised $38 million in seed and Series A funding. The round includes an $8 million seed co-led by Sequoia Capital and First Round Capital, and a $30 million Series A led by Hummingbird Ventures. The platform, deployed in over 50 hospitals, screens patients for conditions like malnutrition and delirium by extracting clinical concepts from clinician notes. Customers include Penn Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, and others. Revenue has grown over 10x in the past year. Funding will support expansion into more health conditions and outpatient care.

• Healthleap raised $38 million in seed and Series A funding, including $8 million seed co-led by Sequoia Capital and First Round Capital and $30 million Series A led by Hummingbird Ventures.
• The AI platform is deployed in more than 50 hospitals, screening patients for malnutrition, delirium, and other conditions.
• Customers include Penn Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Intermountain, Houston Methodist, and Emory Healthcare.

Sequoia: AGI Has Arrived

Sequoia Capital partner Pat Grady's private briefing to Boston College's investment committee reveals the firm's belief that AGI has already arrived, dating its emergence to November 2025 with Claude Code and Opus 4.5. Grady sizes the AI opportunity against a $10-20 trillion services market, not the $650 billion software market. He also reveals that across seven recent Sequoia deals, startup valuations jumped an average of 31x within a single month. The briefing outlines the AI wave's unprecedented nature, the 'diffusion gap' opportunity, and four startup categories Sequoia is excited about, including an AI company that went from $0 to $100 million in 7 days.

• Sequoia Capital believes AGI has arrived, dating it to November 2025.
• Pat Grady sizes AI opportunity against a $10-20 trillion services market.
• Seven recent Sequoia deals saw valuations jump an average of 31x in one month.

Magentic Raises $18M for AI Industrial Automation

Magentic, a startup providing AI-powered digital workers for industrial companies, has secured $18 million in Series A funding, one year after its launch. The round was led by Felicis, with participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital and The Westly Group. Magentic's AI agents automate procurement and operational workflows for large manufacturers, handling tasks such as buy-versus-build assessments, supplier selection, contract negotiation, order management, and invoice processing. The platform supports both indirect procurement and direct spend on raw materials. The company targets industrial and procurement teams facing increased workloads due to manufacturing demand, trade disruption, and budget pressures. The funding will accelerate development of the AI agents, extend the platform to additional supply chain workflows, and support research into AI systems for complex optimization problems in industrial operations.

• Magentic raised $18 million in Series A funding.
• The round was led by Felicis, with participation from Sequoia Capital and The Westly Group.
• Magentic develops AI agents to automate procurement and operational workflows for industrial companies.