Sapiom has raised $15 million from Accel to build payment infrastructure for AI agents that need to autonomously purchase software tools, APIs, and compute resources.
The problem: As AI agents become more capable of building applications through prompt-to-code tools like Lovable, they still can't handle the backend authentication and micro-payments required to connect with external services like Twilio for SMS or Stripe for payments. Every service call requires a payment and authentication step that currently needs human intervention.
Sapiom's approach is to create programmable wallets with enterprise-grade controls. According to Accel partner Amit Kumar, who led the round, the company is deliberately targeting enterprise customers rather than consumers. This means built-in budget limits, fraud prevention, and audit trails.
Worth noting: Founder Ilan Zerbib previously built Earny, which raised $13 million before being acquired. He spent five years as Shopify's director of engineering for payments. The new company raised $3.5 million in its first three weeks and closed the full $15 million seed within months of founding in mid-2025.
The timing matters. AI procurement automation is moving from proof-of-concept to production. Companies like Ivalua are implementing agentic AI for sourcing workflows. Pactum AI is automating vendor negotiations. The question is whether autonomous purchasing decisions need specialized payment infrastructure or can rely on existing corporate card systems.
The real test: Can Sapiom solve the governance problem? Autonomous agents making purchasing decisions raise obvious questions about approval workflows, compliance, and accountability. The company claims to address this with enterprise controls, but we haven't seen the implementation yet.
Other investors include Okta Ventures, Array Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Anthropic, and Coinbase Ventures. Product launch appears imminent based on French press reports indicating a late January 2026 target.
What to watch: How enterprises handle the trade-off between agent autonomy and procurement oversight. And whether specialized payment rails prove necessary or if existing corporate payment systems adapt fast enough.