Why a Y Combinator start-up taking on AI representatives for Windows quit and rotated

Microsoft Windows

A start-up called Pig.dev that took part in Y Combinator’s Winter season 2025 set was servicing a possible cutting edge concept: AI agentic technology to manage a Microsoft Windows desktop computer.

Yet in May, the founder announced he was deserting the technology and rotating his business to something completely various: Muscle Mem, a cache system for AI representatives that permits them to unload repeatable jobs.

An early-stage YC business rotating is absolutely nothing unusual, naturally. What’s fascinating– and what stimulated a vibrant discussion on Thursday’s Y Combinator podcast— is that Pig was servicing computer system usage, among the huge locations that requires to be resolved for representatives to be absolutely beneficial in the labor force. One more business– and an additional YC alum– that is taking on that for the internet browser is called Web browser Usage.

Web browser Usage rose to appeal when Chinese agentic device Claw, which depend on it, went viral Web browser Usage basically checks the switches and aspects of an internet site to transform them right into a much more absorbable, “text-like” layout for representatives, assisting the AI comprehend just how to browse and make use of the web site.

Throughout the Y Combinator podcast, launched Thursday, companion Tom Blomfield compared Pig as the Web Browser Usage for Windows desktop computers. The podcast included Amjad Massad, the creator and chief executive officer of preferred vibe-coding startup Replit.

Massad, Blomfield, and YC companion David Lieb were going over just how long-lasting computer system use hours, as opposed to mins, was still a stumbling block for representatives. As the context home window for thinking expands, a representative’s precision wavers while LLM boost.

“The recommendations I would certainly provide owners today is taking either Web browser Usage or Windows automation with Pig and attempting to use that right into venture, right into an upright sector,” Blomfield recommended.

Techcrunch occasion

San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025 

Massad concurred, “The minute that innovation functions, those 2 business are mosting likely to do truly, truly well,” he claimed.

Yet alas, Pig’s creator Erik Dunteman has actually currently quit on the concept. In his message in May he discussed that he initially wished to run a cloud API item (an usual means of supplying AI technology). Yet his clients really did not desire that. So he attempted offering it as a dev device. And they really did not desire that either.

“What individuals in the tradition application automation area really desire is to hand me cash, and obtain an automation,” he claimed. Basically, they wished to work with an expert to make their wanted Windows robot procedure automations benefit them.

Yet Dunteman really did not intend to do one-off tasks. He wished to construct advancement devices. So he deserted Pig and began servicing an AI caching device. Dunteman decreased more remark regarding his choice to ditch Windows automation, although the Pig.dev website and Github documents continue to be readily available.

Nonetheless, Dunteman did inform us his brand-new device was influenced by the computer system usage trouble. It is trying it from an additional angle. The concept is to enable the representative to unload duplicated jobs to the Muscle Mem solution, so the representative can concentrate on thinking for brand-new issues and side instances.

“What we’re servicing currently is straight influenced by and appropriate to computer system usage, simply at the designer tooling layer. I continue to be extremely confident for computer system usage as ‘the last mile’,” he informed TechCrunch.

That’s not to claim that no person is servicing Windows automation.

Possibly the business farthest along on that particular is Microsoft itself. For example, in April Microsoft announced it included computer system usage technology to Copilot Workshop for icon like Windows. That technology was launched as a study sneak peek. And also, previously this month, Microsoft revealed an agentic tool in Windows 11 that aids finish individuals handle setups.

.