Natural, a startup founded in 2025 by Kahlil Lalji, Eric Wang, and Walt Leung, is aiming to transform payment systems for autonomous AI agents. These AI agents are increasingly capable of managing complex tasks like vendor selection and logistics, but current financial infrastructures require human authorization for transactions, limiting efficiency. Natural’s goal is to build a new financial architecture that allows AI agents to independently move funds, collect payments, and transact seamlessly with both humans and other agents.

The company has recently secured $30 million in a Series A funding round led by Forerunner Ventures, bringing its total funding to $40 million. Forerunner’s founder, Kirsten Green, is particularly interested in Natural’s broader vision of reshaping payment handling, including improvements in managing disputed transactions. The startup has operated in beta but has already made significant architectural choices positioning it to compete directly with established payment processors like Stripe.

Lalji, who has a background in banking and was previously involved with the fintech startup Ivella, believes that the current financial rail systems are outdated for AI-driven autonomous transactions. With competitors like Stripe and other startups exploring blockchain and stablecoin solutions, Natural plans to support both traditional bank payments and innovative digital currencies within its platform. This hybrid approach could help the company stand out in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

The market opportunity, according to Lalji, is potentially enormous as AI agents enable payments to occur at machine speed rather than human pace, dramatically increasing transaction volume. Drawing on talent from fintech giants such as Stripe, Ramp, and Square, Natural hopes its fast development pace and visionary infrastructure can establish it as a crucial financial backbone for AI-driven commerce in the coming years.