Browser Use raises $17M for AI website navigation tools

Browser Use, a tool designed to help AI "agents" navigate websites, has successfully raised $17 million in funding. Investors in this seed round include notable names like Paul Graham and Felicis’ Astasia Myers. The company aims to make websites more "readable" for AI agents. As more startups focus on creating automated tools, Browser Use has gained attention for its capability to enhance how these agents interact with online content. Founded by Magnus Müller and Gregor Zunic last year, Browser Use emerged from ETH Zurich’s Student Project House accelerator. The duo combined their skills in web scraping and data science to simplify website navigation for AI systems. They developed a demo of Browser Use in just five weeks, and it quickly gained popularity. The tool works by transforming website elements into a simpler format that AI agents can easily understand. This method is more effective than traditional vision-based systems, which can often break when navigating sites. With growing demand, over 20 companies from Y Combinator’s current winter batch are using Browser Use. Many businesses are interested in how to make their websites more navigable for AI agents. Investors see potential in Browser Use as a way to address challenges in the AI field. They believe web AI agents could be the next big step in automating human tasks online.