Tom Brady Backs AI Startup Catena Labs in $18M Seed Round

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Tom Brady Backs AI Startup Catena Labs in $18 Million Seed Round

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: May 26, 2025

Key Takeaways

Tom Brady has invested in Catena Labs, a Boston startup blending AI and finance tools;
Catena Labs raised $18 million to build a system where AI agents handle transactions for users;
The firm launched Agent Commerce Kit to let AI verify identity and send payments independently.

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Tom Brady Backs AI Startup Catena Labs in $18 Million Seed Round

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Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady has invested in Catena Labs, a startup focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and finance.

According to Front Office Sports' report on May 25, the company is based in Boston and is working on building a financial platform designed for AI systems.

Its goal is to create a system where software agents can carry out financial transactions on behalf of people and businesses. This idea, known as agentic commerce, centers on AI tools making payments or purchases without human help.

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Catena Labs was co-founded by Sean Neville, who previously helped develop the USDC USDC $0.9998 stablecoin at Circle.

The startup recently announced that it had raised $18 million in funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division, a16zcrypto. Other investors included Circle Ventures, Coinbase $624.59M Ventures, Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, and Breyer Capital.

According to Neville, Catena Labs wants to build a financial institution that works with AI tools. These tools would help businesses and consumers make secure and efficient transactions. Catena Labs’ system is expected to support both regulated stablecoins, such as USDC, and more traditional payment options.

Additionally, Catena introduced a software tool called the Agent Commerce Kit. This open-source product is designed to help AI agents prove who they are and complete transactions without needing human involvement.

Meanwhile, Méliuz, a financial technology company based in Brazil, recently became the first publicly listed firm in the country to adopt Bitcoin. What did CEO Israel Salmen say about the decision? Read the full story.