M13 vs Silicon Road Ventures

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.

Gudea Raises $7M to Predict Social Media Crises with AI

Gudea, an AI startup that tracks the spread of stories and rumors online, has raised $7 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Mudita Venture Partners and Silicon Road Ventures, bringing the company's total funding to approximately $15 million. Gudea's platform analyzes behavior, relationships, and information pathways across over 500 mainstream and fringe websites and platforms, including X, Reddit, and TikTok, to help organizations detect and prevent social media crises. Unlike traditional social listening tools that only count mentions and impressions, Gudea provides context on who is driving conversations, how fast they spread, and where they might lead. The company, founded in 2023 by Keith Presley, Jonathan Sperber, and James Thomin, has nearly 40 clients, including Fortune 50 companies and major AI labs. Gudea plans to launch geolocation for narratives and allow customers to test advertising campaigns with its AI model.

• Gudea raised $7 million in seed funding co-led by Mudita Venture Partners and Silicon Road Ventures.
• Total funding to date is approximately $15 million.
• Gudea tracks information spread across 500+ mainstream and fringe websites and platforms.