Did you know the $100 trillion B2B payments industry is still stuck in the Stone Age, relying on manual human negotiation to get invoices paid? In this episode, Duncan Barrigan, Founder and CEO of Lunos, reveals how his startup is building AI agents to completely automate the chaotic Wild West of business-to-business transactions.

Duncan shares his journey from scaling GoCardless to hundreds of millions in ARR to discovering a massive hidden problem in global finance. He explains why getting paid is not a traditional payments issue, but a complex communication challenge that has plagued businesses since the dawn of commerce.

We dive deep into how Lunos is deploying AI workers that integrate seamlessly into existing financial systems, handling the back-and-forth negotiations of invoicing with infinite scalability. Duncan also unpacks the future of agent-to-agent networks, comparing this inevitable shift to the adoption of self-driving cars for the global economy.

Beyond the technology, Duncan offers invaluable advice for founders on navigating rapid technological changes, finding the right early adopters, and making critical hiring decisions that define company culture.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Technical Setup
02:38 Duncan's Background and Journey to FinTech
04:53 The Eureka Moment: Identifying the Problem
07:31 Understanding B2B Payments and Communication Challenges
10:37 The Role of AI in Revolutionizing Payments
13:44 Selling the Concept of AI-Driven Solutions
16:52 Target Market and Ideal Customer Profile
18:05 Skepticism and Validation in AI Implementation
19:13 Navigating the Wild West of Edge Cases
21:02 The Economic Impact of AI on Global Trade
22:56 Building a Startup in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
25:08 Challenges of Rapid Technological Change
27:49 Go-to-Market Strategies for Startups
30:32 The Importance of Team and Culture in Startups
36:23 Current Hiring Needs and Future Opportunities

Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com