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Minicor, an AI startup that helps businesses connect AI tools with older desktop software, has raised a $3.8 million seed round. Nigerian-born software engineer Saheed Akinbile and co-founder Faizaan Chishtie founded the startup.
IA Ventures led the round through Brad Gillespie, with participation from Y Combinator (YC) and Paul Graham. Minicor is part of YC’s P26 batch.
Other investors in the round include Pioneer Fund, Robinhood Ventures, Garage Capital, Rebel Fund, Blast, SuccessVP, K5 Global, 20VC, Phosphor Capital, Metsu Capital, Austen Allred, Henri Stern, Matteo Franceschetti and Jeff Henriod.
“Minicor turns legacy desktop software into endpoints that AI can call like any other API. Our agents learn how the software works, build the automations, and keep them running,” said Faizaan Chishtie, Co-founder, Minicor.
Minicor focuses on software that lacks an API, restricting direct connections with other programs.
Companies typically address this challenge by either developing robotic process automation (RPA), which requires significant engineering effort, or using computer agents, which are easier to implement but often slower than manual data entry.
Minicor’s agents learn how specific software operates and autonomously manage the automations, allowing AI to interact with the software as if it had an API. The company aims to enhance productivity gains for businesses through AI solutions.
An API call initiates a comprehensive desktop workflow on a Windows virtual machine, applicable in on-premises, cloud, or Citrix environments.
The company’s automation solutions are equipped with self-healing capabilities, video replay features, and horizontal scaling to ensure optimal performance. This allows organizations to seamlessly engage with any client utilizing desktop software at scale.
IA Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that focuses on investing in software businesses that are on the cusp of achieving product-market fit.
Comprising an all-partner team, IA Ventures fosters a close-knit environment where team members collaborate directly with founders throughout their entrepreneurial journey.
Since its establishment in 2010, the firm has successfully backed over 100 companies, including notable names such as Datadog, The Trade Desk, TransferWise, Flatiron Health, Komodo Health, DataRobot, DigitalOcean, and Recorded Future.
