Top AI Product

APIs were built for developers with accounts and contracts, not for autonomous agents that need data mid-task. Orthogonal, a YC W2026 startup, rebuilds that layer for agents: it gives them instant access to 50+ premium APIs through a single MCP server with pay-per-call credits.

## What Orthogonal does

Instead of managing dozens of API keys and onboarding with each vendor, an agent connects once to Orthogonal’s MCP server or SDK and can then buy data the same way it calls a function. It is built on HTTP 402 payment semantics, so an autonomous agent can discover and pay for API access at runtime — enabling budget-aware agents that spend within limits. Over 30 API partners are already integrated, including People Data Labs, Apollo.io, and Composio.

## Why it fits the agent stack

Orthogonal is compatible with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent, so it slots into existing setups without rework. The founders come from Coinbase payments, Vercel billing, and Google — a payments-plus-infrastructure background that fits the core idea of letting agents transact for data. Early customers are YC-backed companies, a sign the “agents pay for APIs” model is landing first where agents are already in production.