As artificial intelligence agents become increasingly capable of executing complex workflows—from sourcing logistics vendors to negotiating prices—they face a major bottleneck: the financial system. Traditional payment rails like credit cards and ACH transfers were designed for human authorization, requiring manual intervention that slows down autonomous digital agents. To bridge this gap, financial technology startup Natural has emerged from stealth with a mission to rebuild payment infrastructure specifically optimized for machine-to-machine and machine-to-human transactions.

Natural has secured $30 million in a Series A funding round led by venture capital firm Forerunner, bringing its total capital raised to $40 million. Founded in 2025 by fintech veterans Kahlil Lalji and Eric Wang—who previously co-founded the banking platform Ivella—alongside former Nextdoor engineering manager Walt Leung, the startup is positioning itself as an orchestration layer for agentic finance. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate development and expand a team that already includes senior talent recruited from established fintech giants like Stripe, Square, and Ramp.

Natural’s platform allows AI agents to securely hold, transfer, and receive funds. While established payment processors like Stripe are also rushing to adapt their legacy systems for AI-driven commerce, Natural is building its architecture from the ground up to handle agent-specific challenges, including automated dispute resolution. The startup plans to support both traditional bank transfers and USD-backed stablecoins, placing it in competition not only with traditional payment giants but also with web3-focused startups like Skyfire Systems.

The shift toward autonomous transactions could fundamentally alter the volume and velocity of global commerce. By enabling transactions to occur at computational speeds rather than human speeds, the frequency of financial exchanges could increase by multiple orders of magnitude. Natural’s leadership believes that building the foundational financial backbone for this new era represents one of the most significant structural opportunities in modern technology.

Key Takeaways

• Natural raised $30 million in Series A funding, led by Forerunner, to build a dedicated payment infrastructure for autonomous AI agents.
• Traditional payment systems like ACH and credit cards require human intervention, creating a bottleneck for AI agents designed to operate independently.
• The startup aims to compete directly with industry giants like Stripe by offering an orchestration layer that supports both traditional banking rails and stablecoins.

Editor’s Analysis & Impact

The rise of ‘agentic commerce’—where AI agents autonomously negotiate, purchase, and settle transactions—demands a fundamental rewrite of global financial infrastructure. Legacy payment systems are heavily reliant on human-in-the-loop verification to prevent fraud and manage disputes, a model that is incompatible with the millisecond-level execution speeds of AI. Natural’s entry into this space highlights a growing realization that the next major wave of transaction volume will not come from humans, but from software. By building a native orchestration layer for machines, Natural is positioning itself at the forefront of a potentially massive market expansion. However, competing against incumbents like Stripe, which possess deep regulatory relationships and massive distribution networks, will require Natural to demonstrate superior speed, security, and seamless integration capabilities. If successful, this shift could unlock unprecedented transaction volumes, transforming how businesses manage supply chains and procurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why can't AI agents use existing payment methods like credit cards?
A: Existing payment systems are built with security and authorization protocols designed for humans, such as multi-factor authentication and manual approvals. These legacy rails slow down autonomous AI agents, which require instant, programmatic transaction capabilities.

Q: Who is funding Natural, and how much have they raised?
A: Natural has raised a total of $40 million, which includes a recent $30 million Series A funding round led by the venture capital firm Forerunner.

Q: How does Natural plan to compete with established payment processors like Stripe?
A: Natural is building its payment architecture from the ground up specifically for AI agents, allowing for faster development and features like automated dispute resolution. It also supports a hybrid model of traditional bank payments and stablecoins to offer maximum flexibility.