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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Infrastructure platform providing open-source Browsers-as-a-Service for AI agents and web automation, managing cloud browser operations.
Kernel, based in San Francisco, CA, provides open-source infrastructure for AI agents, offering Browsers-as-a-Service to facilitate high-speed internet interactions and automations. The platform manages comprehensive cloud browser operations, including rapid spin-up, responsive views, logs, and residential proxies, enabling flexible, observable, and high-speed web agent launches. Kernel has secured $22 million in funding and operates with a team of 6 employees. Its services are trusted by over 1000 customers, including notable names like Cash App and Rye. The company is backed by prominent investors such as Accel and is a participant in the Y Combinator S25 batch. Kernel was founded in 2025 by Rafael Garcia and Catherine Jue. The firm focuses on AI agent developers and web automation users, trusted by Cash App, Rye, and 1000+ others.
Kernel has raised $276.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Key people at Kernel.
Kernel was founded in 2025 by Rafael Garcia (Co-founder & CTO) and Catherine Jue (Co-Founder & CEO).
Kernel has raised $276.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Key people at Kernel.
Kernel has raised $276.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $16.0M Series A in October 2025.
Kernel was founded in 2025 by Rafael Garcia (Co-founder & CTO) and Catherine Jue (Co-Founder & CEO).
Kernel has raised $276.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Kernel's investors include Alumni Ventures, General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, OS Fund, Paul Graham, AME Cloud Ventures, B Capital Group, Bedrock Capital, BlueRun Ventures, David Namdar, Greylock, Hardware Club.
Kernel is a cutting-edge platform offering browsers-as-a-service designed to enable AI agents to interact with the internet just like humans do, via a fast, flexible API. It handles the complex cloud infrastructure required to launch and manage browser instances at scale, supporting frameworks like Playwright and Puppeteer. Kernel’s product is primarily aimed at developers and companies building AI-powered web agents and automations, solving the problem of slow, unreliable, and insecure browser infrastructure that limits AI applications. The platform boasts sub-second browser spin-up times, session persistence, secure agent authentication, and robust debugging tools, enabling seamless and secure AI workflows. Kernel’s growth is marked by adoption from startups, including Y Combinator companies, and public firms like Cash App, supported by a recent $22 million funding round to scale its infrastructure[1][2][3][4][7].
Kernel was founded in 2025 by Catherine Jue and Rafael Garcia, both experienced entrepreneurs with strong technical backgrounds. Raf previously co-founded Clever (YC S12), which exited for $500 million, while Catherine co-founded Sway Finance (YC S16) and led engineering at Cash App. They started Kernel from a shared vision that cloud infrastructure for browsers could be made 100x better, unlocking new capabilities for AI applications. The idea emerged from the recognition that large language models (LLMs) and AI agents require reliable, fast, and secure browser environments to automate tasks on the web, but existing infrastructure was inadequate. Early traction came from integrating with major automation frameworks and securing high-profile customers, validating the platform’s value[1][2][3][5].
Kernel rides the wave of AI automation and the growing demand for AI agents capable of performing complex web-based tasks autonomously. As LLMs and AI models become more capable, the need for reliable browser infrastructure that can handle real-time interactions, session management, and security is critical. Kernel’s timing is ideal, addressing a key bottleneck in AI deployment by providing infrastructure that is fast, observable, and secure. Market forces such as the rise of AI-driven workflows, increased automation in enterprises, and the push for human-in-the-loop systems favor Kernel’s growth. By enabling AI agents to use the web as humans do, Kernel influences the broader ecosystem by setting new standards for browser infrastructure in AI applications and fostering partnerships that shape how AI interacts with online platforms[2][3][7].
Kernel is positioned to become a foundational infrastructure provider for AI-driven web automation, with its recent $22 million funding fueling expansion and innovation. Future trends shaping Kernel’s journey include the proliferation of AI agents in enterprise and consumer applications, advances in Model Context Protocols for better AI-tool integration, and growing demand for secure, auditable AI operations. Kernel’s influence is likely to deepen as it evolves into an OS-level platform for sanctioned AI agents, expanding partnerships with websites and identity providers to create a secure, interoperable ecosystem. Its focus on speed, security, and developer experience will be key to maintaining leadership as AI adoption accelerates across industries[2][3][7].
