Browser Use, a Y Combinator-backed startup simplifying how AI agents interact with websites, has raised $17 million in seed funding to expand its open-source platform.
The round was led by Felicis’ Astasia Myers, with support from Paul Graham, A Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners.
Making the Web Agent-Friendly
Co-founded by Magnus Müller and Gregor Zunic through ETH Zurich’s Student Project House, the company converts websites into structured, text-like formats that are easier for AI agents to understand and navigate.
Unlike vision-based agents that rely on screenshots—often leading to errors—Browser Use breaks down page elements like buttons and menus into machine-readable data, enabling more stable, repeatable, and cost-efficient automation.
“Agents fail when websites change layouts or hide elements. We give them a consistent way to understand what’s on a page,” said Müller.
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Growing Demand in the Agent Ecosystem
The tool is already being used by 20+ Y Combinator Winter 2025 startups and gained widespread attention after Chinese AI tool Manus integrated it.
Companies are even approaching Browser Use to improve their own site layouts for agent compatibility—a sign of growing demand for agent-ready infrastructure.
A Foundational Layer for the AI Web
Felicis’ Astasia Myers noted:
“Web AI agents are becoming a bridge between static models and dynamic web environments. These guys are building the infrastructure these Agents need to function at scale.”
With $17M in fresh capital, the startup is positioned to become a core building block of the agent-driven internet, enabling seamless interaction between AI tools and the modern web.
