Runable raises $21m to help small businesses grow with AI agents
Runable, a Bengaluru-based startup, raised $21 million in a Series A round to expand its AI agent that builds and grows businesses rather than just software. Susquehanna Venture Capital and Nexus Venture Partners co-led the all-equity funding, with existing…
Source: TechCrunch · August 26, 2026 at 12:31 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 26 AUGUST 2026 —
Runable Secures $21 Million to Scale AI Agents for Business Growth Beyond Creation
Market Impact
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Indian AI startup Runable has raised $21 million in a Series A funding round to expand its platform that helps small businesses not just build digital products, but grow them through automated marketing, customer acquisition, and operational optimisation.
The round was co-led by Susquehanna Venture Capital and Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors Together Fund and Array VC. The all-equity investment values Runable at $65 million post-money, according to co-founder and CEO Umesh Kumar.
Founded in 2025, Runable initially focused on AI infrastructure, developing browser-based tools to scrape data at scale. However, the Bengaluru-based startup pivoted after observing users leveraging its agent to create websites, presentations, and apps via natural language prompts. Within three weeks of launching paid services in March, Runable achieved a $2 million annualised revenue run rate, Kumar told TechCrunch.
The platform now serves as a general-purpose AI agent capable of building websites, apps, and content, while also handling deployment and analytics. Its latest expansion targets the "grow" phase of business operations, automating ad campaigns, social media management, SEO, and optimisation for AI chatbot visibility.
Runable claims 1.7 million registered users, with the U.S., UK, and Japan as its largest markets. Brazil also contributes to usage, though the startup is prioritising the first three regions, with Japan expected to rival the U.S. in user activity within a month.
Between 60% and 70% of the over 1 trillion tokens consumed by users in the last 90 days came from paying customers, Kumar said. He declined to disclose current revenue or paying customer numbers. Despite subsidising AI usage to attract clients, Runable currently operates with negative gross margins. Kumar expects inference costs to decline as the startup develops proprietary models and integrates more efficient AI systems.
"We are seeing this path where you can provide the same quality of inference at almost 10x less cost," Kumar said.
Runable’s challenge lies in differentiating itself amid intensifying competition from AI giants like Anthropic and OpenAI, which are also developing agent-based tools. Cursor, Lovable, and Replit represent another layer of competition, focusing on coding and app development. Kumar argues Runable’s edge lies in delivering end-to-end business outcomes—including infrastructure, analytics, and distribution—without requiring users to stitch together multiple services.
In a TechCrunch test, Runable built and deployed a website for a fictional coffee subscription business, set up analytics, and prepared an ad campaign with a $25 budget. However, it required an external advertising account to execute the campaign. A similar test on Cursor yielded comparable limitations, needing Meta Ads access and third-party deployment tools.
Runable’s ability to run ads without users connecting their own accounts is currently available for ChatGPT-based ads through undisclosed partnerships, described as "soft wedge" collaborations. The startup did not name its partners.
Kumar emphasised that Runable is not competing with coding-focused agents like OpenAI’s Codex or Anthropic’s Claude Code, which cater to developers. Instead, it targets non-technical small business owners who need turnkey solutions to transform AI-generated outputs into revenue-generating operations.
General-purpose agents such as Manus and Genspark are considered Runable’s closest competitors, but Kumar positions his startup as uniquely focused on customer acquisition rather than just content creation.
Runable’s growth comes as Southeast Asia’s digital economy continues to expand, with Malaysia emerging as a key market for tech adoption. While Runable’s primary markets remain the U.S., UK, and Japan, its user base in the region reflects broader trends in AI-driven entrepreneurship.
Industry observers note that AI agents capable of both building and growing businesses could address a critical gap for small enterprises in Malaysia and across ASEAN, where digital transformation remains uneven. Local stakeholders highlight the potential for such tools to lower barriers to market entry, particularly for micro and small businesses.
However, challenges persist, including data privacy concerns, integration with local payment systems, and the need for culturally adapted marketing strategies. Runable’s ability to navigate these issues will determine its traction in diverse markets like Malaysia.
Looking ahead, Runable plans to deepen its "grow" capabilities, targeting automated customer acquisition and retention. Kumar hinted at further product iterations, including enhanced analytics and multi-platform campaign management.
As AI agents evolve from productivity tools to full-fledged business operators, Runable’s funding and strategic direction underscore a broader shift in the tech landscape—one where the value lies not just in creation, but in sustainable growth.
Related: Runable · Umesh Kumar · Kuala Lumpur