CopilotKit raises $27M to help devs deploy app-native AI agents

The story

The Seattle-based startup's Series A round was led by Glilot Capital, NFX, and SignalFire, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.
From the source
The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now.
Image Credits: Copilotkit AI CopilotKit raises $27M to help devs deploy app-native AI agents Ram Iyer 7:07 AM PDT · May 5, 2026 Many companies today provide AI simply as a chatbot inside their apps: you type in (or dictate) what you want it to do, and the AI bot goes and tries to do it. Still, the experience tends to feel clunky. A text-based UI doesn t always translate to a smooth experience, for example, if you want to use a travel app to book an entire itinerary but have to scan through reams of text.
According to the founders of CopilotKit , that approach doesn t make the most of what AI agents and LLMs can do. The company s co-founders, Atai Barkai (pictured above, right) and Uli Barkai (pictured above, left), believe the way forward is to enable agents to live inside applications, understand what users are doing, take actions, and show useful interfaces instead of just returning long blocks of text.
Who and what
Key names and topics in this story: CopilotKit.
Where to follow next
- Read the full piece at techcrunch.com
- More from our AI & prompts coverage

Related stories
PayPal says it s becoming a technology company again. That means AI.
PayPal is pitching an AI-led turnaround, tying automation and restructuring to $1.5B in savings as it cuts jobs and works to modernize its tech stack.

Meta will use AI to analyze height and bone structure to identify if users are underage
The visual analysis system is now operating in select countries, but Meta says it's working toward a broader rollout.

Etsy launches its app within ChatGPT as it continues its AI push
Etsy's new native app within ChatGPT aims to be a conversational shopping experience for users.

A blueprint for using AI to strengthen democracy
Every few centuries, changes in how information moves reshape how societies govern themselves. The printing press spread vernacular literacy, helping give rise to the Reformation and, eventually, representative government. The telegraph made it possible to administer vast nations