Startups Weekly AI News

February 16 - February 24, 2026

Several new companies are using AI agents to help businesses work faster and smarter. An AI agent is like a helpful robot that can do tasks on its own without a person telling it every step. This week, two startup companies announced they got millions of dollars to build these AI agents. One company called Kana is based in San Francisco, USA, and raised $15 million to help marketers plan their ads and social media campaigns. Another company called Sphinx in the financial world raised $7 million to help banks follow the rules and check if customers are allowed to use their services. These companies show that AI agents are becoming very popular with businesses right now. Many big tech companies like Microsoft and OpenAI are also building AI agents that can write code, give advice, and even help with doctor visits. Some people are worried that these AI agents might take jobs away from people, but others think the jobs will just change instead of disappear. Experts say this is one of the biggest technology changes happening in 2026, and investors around the world are putting lots of money into companies building AI agent technology.

Extended Coverage
Put an agent to work

Stop reading agent demos. Give one a job you repeat every week.

Describe the work, test the first result, and keep the agent available without running your own server.

Runs without your laptopBrowser + messaging appsBackups and clonesMemory survives restarts

Plans start at $29/month. Cancel anytime.

Hosted agent

OpenClaw or Hermes

saved state
Browser
WhatsApp
Telegram
Slack
“I checked the inbox, handled the routine messages, and sent you the one question that needs a decision.”
Create an AI worker that keeps running after this tab closes.
Open Agent Factory