VC Investor
Competitor Funding Tracker — Who Raised, How Much, From Whom
Key Takeaway
AI agents monitor Crunchbase, TechCrunch, Twitter, and SEC filings for competitor funding events — generating quarterly reports with burn rate estimates, runway projections, and strategic implications for our own fundraise timing.
The Problem
In the AI agent space, funding rounds reshape the competitive landscape overnight. A competitor raises $30M and suddenly they can outspend you on engineering, sales, and marketing for the next two years. Another competitor's runway is running out and they'll either raise a desperation round or get acqui-hired.
This information is critical for three decisions:
- When to fundraise — raise before or after a competitor's round changes market dynamics
- How to position — a well-funded competitor means differentiation matters more than features
- Where to invest — if a competitor is burning cash on enterprise sales, maybe we win on developer experience instead
I used to find out about competitor funding from Twitter. Often days or weeks late. Sometimes from a prospect who said, "Oh, by the way, [competitor] just raised — they offered us a big discount."
That's not intelligence. That's being the last to know.
The Solution
An agent that monitors multiple data sources continuously, cross-references signals, and generates quarterly competitive funding reports. Uses the deep-research skill (Gemini Deep Research) for contextual analysis and the competitive-strategy-tracker for ongoing monitoring.
The Process
yamlShow code
# funding-tracker.yaml
name: competitor-funding-tracker
skills:
- deep-research
- competitive-strategy-tracker
- twitter-scraper
- hacker-news-scraper
monitoring:
continuous:
schedule: "0 8 * * *" # Daily scan
sources:
- type: web_search
queries:
- "CrewAI funding round"
- "LangChain series raise"
- "AutoGen Microsoft investment"
- "AI agent framework funding 2026"
- type: twitter
accounts:
- "@craborat" # CrewAI founder
- "@hwchase17" # LangChain founder
- "@ericnewcomer" # The Information reporter
- "@aaborat" # AI beat reporter
keywords: ["funding", "raised", "series", "investors"]
- type: hacker_news
keywords: ["crewai funding", "langchain raise", "ai agent funding"]
alert_threshold: high_confidence # Only alert on corroborated signals
quarterly_report:
schedule: "0 10 1 1,4,7,10 *" # Quarterly
deep_research_prompt: |
Comprehensive competitive funding analysis for AI agent
framework companies. For each: total raised, latest round
details, key investors, estimated burn rate, runway
projection. Include: CrewAI, LangChain/LangSmith,
AutoGen/Microsoft, AgentGPT/Reworkd, Semantic Kernel.
output:
alerts: telegram
quarterly: workspace/intel/funding/quarterly-report.md
raw: workspace/intel/funding/events/
The daily scan catches signals. When corroborated from multiple sources, it fires an alert:
markdownShow code
## Funding Alert: AutoGen / Microsoft AI Frameworks
**Date detected:** 2026-02-22
**Confidence:** HIGH (3 sources corroborated)
**Sources:**
1. TechCrunch article (2026-02-22): "Microsoft spins out AutoGen
as independent company with $30M Series B"
2. Twitter: @ericnewcomer reported $200M valuation
3. Crunchbase: Updated entry confirms Sequoia + Microsoft Ventures
**Key details:**
- Amount: $30M Series B
- Valuation: ~$200M
- Lead: Sequoia Capital
- Participating: Microsoft Ventures (continued), a16z
- Use of funds: Enterprise product, go-to-market team
**Investor overlap with PyratzLabs network:**
- a16z: 2nd degree connection via [portfolio company]
- Sequoia: No direct overlap
**Strategic implications:**
- AutoGen now has ~$45M total raised + Microsoft backing
- Likely 18-24 month runway at current team size
- Enterprise push will compete directly with CrewAI
- Creates a "3-horse enterprise race" — CrewAI, AutoGen, LangChain
- PyratzLabs opportunity: developer/prosumer segment being neglected
The quarterly report aggregates everything:
markdownShow code
## Q1 2026 Competitive Funding Landscape
| Company | Total Raised | Latest Round | Valuation | Est. Burn/Mo | Est. Runway |
|---------|-------------|-------------|-----------|-------------|-------------|
| LangChain | $45M | Series B ($35M) | $350M | ~$2.5M | 14 months |
| CrewAI | $28M | Series A ($18M) | $150M | ~$1.8M | 15 months |
| AutoGen | $45M | Series B ($30M) | $200M | ~$1.5M | 24+ months |
| AgentGPT | $3M | Seed | $15M | ~$250K | 12 months |
| Mr.Chief | — | — | — | — | — |
### Market Implications:
Total VC deployed in AI agent frameworks this quarter: $83M
Sector is heating up. Expect consolidation in 12-18 months as
cash-constrained players (AgentGPT) get acquired.
### Fundraise Timing Recommendation:
Market appetite is HIGH. Three factors favor raising now:
1. Competitor rounds validate the market
2. VC familiarity with the space at peak (no education needed)
3. Window before market correction (if/when)
Risk of waiting: competitor war chests grow, our relative
position weakens without matching capital.
The Results
| Metric | Before (Ad Hoc) | After (Agent) |
|---|---|---|
| Funding event detection | Days to weeks late | Same day (corroborated) |
| Sources monitored | Twitter (casually) | 4+ sources, cross-referenced |
| Quarterly analysis | Never done | Automated with strategic context |
| Fundraise timing input | Gut feeling | Data-driven market window analysis |
| Investor overlap mapping | Manual LinkedIn searches | Automated network mapping |
| Time spent | Sporadic, untracked | 0 (automated daily + quarterly) |
| False positive rate | N/A | <10% (multi-source corroboration) |
Try It Yourself
The daily monitor catches signals. The quarterly deep research adds context. Together, they give you the competitive funding picture that VCs already have — but founders usually don't.
Set up the daily scan first with web search queries and key Twitter accounts. Add Hacker News monitoring for community-sourced intel. The quarterly deep research prompt does the heavy analytical lifting.
VCs know exactly who raised what. Now you do too — without being on their call lists.
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