A startup called Pig.dev those involved in Y Combinator's Winter 2025 cohort were developing an innovative concept: artificial intelligence-driven agent technology for managing a Microsoft Windows desktop.
But in May, the founder announced He was leaving behind the technology and shifting his business toward something completely new: Muscle Mem a storage mechanism for artificial intelligence entities that enables them to transfer recurring duties.
It's common for an early-stage YC startup to change direction, naturally. What stands out— and triggered an engaging discussion on Thursday—is... Y Combinator podcast - That was Pig working on computer usage, one of the major areas that needs to be addressed for agents to become genuinely helpful in the workplace. Another company—and another YC graduate—that is addressing this issue for browsers is named Browser Use.
Browser usage rose in popularity due to the Chinese agent tool Manus, which depended on it. went viral Browser Use basically examines the buttons and components of a webpage, converting them into a simpler, "text-style" structure for agents, which assists the AI in comprehending how to interact with and utilize the site.
At the Y Combinator podcast, which was published on Thursday, partner Tom Blomfield compared Pig to the Browser Experience for Windows computers. The episode included an interview with Amjad Massad, the founder and CEO of a well-known platform. vibe-coding startup Replit .
Massad, Blomfield, and YC partner David Lieb were talking about how extended computer usage lasting hours, not just minutes, remained a challenge for agents. With larger context windows for thinking, an agent's precision fluctuates as LLM expenses rise.
"The guidance I'd offer current entrepreneurs is to explore either browser usage or Windows automation through Pig and attempt to implement these approaches within an enterprise setting, targeting a specific sector," Blomfield recommended.
Massad concurred, "The instant technology succeeds, those two firms are going to perform exceptionally well," he stated.
However, unfortunately, Pig's founder Erik Dunteman has already abandoned the concept. In a blog post from May, he mentioned that initially, he aimed to launch a cloud API service (a typical method for distributing AI technology). However, his clients weren't interested in that approach. He then attempted to market it as a developer tool, but again, customers showed little interest.
"What individuals in the traditional application automation field truly seek is to give me funds and obtain an automated solution," he stated. In essence, they aimed to employ a consultant to get their intended Windows-based robot process automations functioning properly for them.
However, Dunteman wasn't interested in short-term projects. His aim was to create development utilities. As a result, he left Pig behind and began focusing on an artificial intelligence-based cache system. Dunteman refused to provide additional details regarding his choice to move away from Windows automation, though the situation remains unclear. Pig.dev website and Github documents remain available.
Nevertheless, Dunteman shared with us that his latest tool was influenced by the issue of computer usage. It is addressing the problem from a different perspective. The concept is to enable the agent to delegate repetitive tasks to the Muscle Mem support, allowing the agent to concentrate on analyzing novel issues and complex scenarios.
The current project we're developing is strongly influenced by and relevant to computing, specifically within the realm of development tools," he said to TechCrunch. "I am still highly confident in computing as 'the final stretch.'
That doesn't mean nobody is involved in Windows automation.
Most likely, the company that has made the most progress in this area is Microsoft. For example, in April Microsoft announced It incorporated computer usage technology into Copilot Studio for graphical user interfaces such as Windows. This technology was made available as a research preview. Additionally, at the beginning of this month, Microsoft announced a proactive utility in Windows 11 which assists end users in controlling configurations