Manny Medina, the founder of Outreach, is back with a new venture—Paid, a startup designed to help AI agents get compensated fairly for their work. The London-based company has already raised €10 million (around $11 million) in pre-seed funding, backed by notable investors such as EQT Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and GTMFund.
The Challenge: Monetizing AI Agents
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, AI agents are being used for tasks that were traditionally handled by human employees. However, many companies struggle with how to price AI services effectively. Traditional subscription models, such as per-user or per-seat pricing, don’t work well for AI agents that operate independently and perform variable amounts of work.
Medina recognized this gap and set out to create a system that allows AI-powered businesses to price and bill customers in a way that reflects the true value AI agents provide.
How ‘Paid’ Works
Paid is designed to be an intelligent billing system tailored for AI businesses. It allows companies to set up flexible pricing structures, whether fixed or variable, based on usage, performance, or other metrics. The platform also tracks an AI agent’s output, ensuring that businesses and customers alike understand the value generated.
In essence, Paid combines elements of SaaS billing, AI analytics, and HR management, giving businesses a transparent way to measure and charge for AI-powered services.
Early Adopters and Industry Impact
Several AI startups, including Logic.app, 11x, VidLab7, Artisan, and HappyRobot, have already integrated Paid into their business models. These early adopters see Paid as a crucial tool in helping AI-based businesses scale and sustain revenue growth.
Additionally, Medina’s team has leveraged AI in its own development process, using platforms like v0, Replit, and Lovable to rapidly prototype Paid’s billing system. Within just a month, a small team of two engineers built the first working version of the platform.
What’s Next for Paid?
Now based in London, Medina is focused on scaling Paid into a must-have financial tool for AI-driven businesses. With AI becoming a fundamental part of industries from customer service to content creation, the need for a robust and adaptable billing system is greater than ever.
By addressing a critical gap in AI monetization, Paid has the potential to reshape how AI services are valued and paid for in the future. If successful, it could become a foundational piece of infrastructure in the rapidly evolving AI economy.
