Is AI Getting Impatient?
Dave Walker
Fortune 50 CMO | Founder, B2SMB Institute | Building the Operating System for Enterprise→SMB Growth | Publisher, Between the Lines
November 4, 2025
When was it again that we all learned about the dinosaurs?
I think it was 4th grade. Mrs. Hart (yeesh.)
I think that’s when I first learned about the Cambrian Era.
You remember the Cambrian era…
All of a sudden, everything got different.
New species.
Overnight.
Sudden diversification.
BIG change.
So my Cambrian-reference question for the day is:
Are we living through a biological-level event in the business software world?
We’re certainly seeing a rapid emergence of many new types of AI-native companies in the SaaS space.
Mind you, these aren’t just variations of existing companies.
These are entirely new categories of offerings.
And yes, this transformation is happening incredibly quickly – in just a few years rather than decades.
And just like the original Cambrian explosion changed the nature of life on Earth, these AI-native companies are changing the fundamental nature of business software.
For a couple of years now we’ve watched the legacy players make adaptations – bolting an AI feature onto an established platform.
Sort of like giving a trilobite a few more legs and a slightly better shell.
Impressive, but still a trilobite.
Now, the future fossil record is being re-cast.
In a blink of an eye, we’re seeing entirely new phyla of AI offerings, especially in the Small Business marketplace.
These new creatures don’t just have different features; they have fundamentally different body plans, built AI-native from their very first line of code.
I’m talking about companies from our own B2SMB Emerging 180 list (link in comments) that seem to have evolved in a different ocean.
We’re not talking about a better CRM; we’re talking about autonomous sales agents that hunt for their own food (Artisan AI).
We’re not talking about faster bookkeeping; we’re talking about self-learning general ledgers that are a new kind of financial organism (Digits).
This leap ahead creates a reflexive, cognitive dissonance for established players.
Think T-Rex asking “hey, is that a shrew?”
How can these newcomers already be so perfectly adapted to a future that just arrived?
It feels like the rules of evolution were suspended, and a new, hyper-competitive ecosystem appeared overnight.
It seems like AI – like all evolution/revolutions – isn’t waiting.
This forces a critical question for every B2SMB leader.
Is your strategy still focused on studying the fossil record of the old giants, or are you equipped to compete with the new, hyper-adapted species that are already thriving?
Are you building a better museum for the old world, or a laboratory to understand the new one?
As I’ve said before, those who master AI2SMB go-to-market in the next 18 months will absolutely OWN the next 10 years.
Let’s get into it.
New Species in Financial Services
1. Digits: The AI-Native General Ledger is Here
The Story: While legacy accounting software struggles to bolt on AI, Digits and CEO Jeff Seibert just launched the world’s first AI-native general ledger. With a new Connect API, they’re not just automating bookkeeping; they’re creating a self-learning financial brain for SMBs.
The Takeaway: This isn’t about faster reports; it’s about autonomous finance. Digits is betting that AI isn’t a feature; it’s the foundation. For B2SMB leaders, the question is no longer “do we have AI?” but “is our entire platform built on it?”
The Question: Are you selling tools that assist the accountant, or are you building the AI that replaces the need for one?
2. Relay: Proof That SMBs Will Pay for AI Banking
The Story: Toronto-based Relay and their CEO Yoseph West just hit a $41M revenue surge, proving that SMBs are more than willing to pay a premium for AI-enhanced banking. Their platform isn’t just a bank account; it’s a financial co-pilot that automates cash flow management and financial forecasting.
The Takeaway: The “free business banking” era is over. SMBs are signaling they’ll pay for intelligence, not just a place to park their cash. This is a massive opportunity for B2SMB companies to monetize AI-driven insights.
The Question: Is your pricing model built for the old world of features, or the new world of intelligence?
3. Found: The All-in-One AI Tax & Banking Platform
The Story: Lauren Myrick‘s team at Found is collapsing the fragmented financial stack for freelancers and solopreneurs. Their all-in-one platform combines banking, bookkeeping, and taxes into a single, AI-powered experience.
The Takeaway: The future isn’t about integrations; it’s about unification. Found is proving that AI can eliminate the need for multiple point solutions, creating a winner-take-all dynamic in the micro-business market.
The Question: Are you building bridges between fragmented systems, or are you building the unified platform that makes them obsolete?
4. Lendflow: 50+ AI Agents Automating Lending
The Story: Austin-based of Lendflow isn’t just using AI; they’re deploying an army of 50+ industry-specific AI agents to automate the entire lending workflow. Their partnership with BHG Financial shows that even the big players are turning to emerging AI-native companies for innovation. Kudos to CEO Jon Fry
The Takeaway: This is the end of generic AI. Lendflow is proving that vertical-specific AI agents can outperform horizontal platforms, creating a new competitive advantage for companies with deep industry expertise.
The Question: Is your AI strategy built on generic models, or are you developing the specialized intelligence that your customers actually need?
New Species in Operations
5. Vanta: The New Standard for AI-Driven Trust
The Story: Vanta just raised $150M at a $4.15B valuation, making them the de facto leader in AI-powered trust management. They’re not just automating compliance; they’re creating a real-time, continuous verification platform that’s becoming the new industry standard.
The Takeaway: In the age of AI, trust is the new currency. Vanta is proving that companies who can prove their security and compliance in real time will have a massive competitive advantage. This is a wake-up call for every B2SMB company that handles customer data.
The Question: Are you still treating compliance as a checkbox, or are you building it into the core of your product as a feature?
6. Gorgias: The AI Agent That Sells
The Story: With a fresh $29M in funding, Gorgias is deploying an AI Agent that doesn’t just answer questions; it drives sales. By automating 60% of support inquiries, Romain Lapeyre team is freeing up human agents to focus on relationship building and upselling.
The Takeaway: The line between customer support and sales is officially dead. Gorgias is proving that AI can turn a cost center into a revenue generator, creating a new ROI model for CX automation.
The Question: Is your AI strategy focused on deflection and cost savings, or are you using it to actively drive revenue?
7. Motion: The AI That Manages Your Time
The Story: Motion and Harry Qi‘s team is quietly revolutionizing productivity for SMBs with an AI-powered calendar and task manager. By automatically scheduling and prioritizing tasks, they’re not just helping people get more done; they’re eliminating the mental overhead of managing work.
The Takeaway: The future of work isn’t about better tools; it’s about less work. Motion is proving that AI can automate the meta-work of managing work, freeing up humans to focus on what they do best.
The Question: Are you building tools that help people do their work, or are you building the AI that does the work for them?
New Species in Sales & Marketing
8. Copy.AI: The GTM AI Platform is Here
The Story: With $16.9M in the bank, Copy.AI and founder Paul Yacoubian have created the world’s first GTM AI platform. They’re not just generating content; they’re automating the entire go-to-market motion, from lead generation to sales outreach.
The Takeaway: This is the end of siloed sales and marketing tools. Copy.AI is betting that AI can unify the entire GTM process, creating a single platform that manages the entire customer lifecycle.
The Question: Are you still selling point solutions for sales and marketing, or are you building the unified GTM platform of the future?
9. Artisan AI: The AI Sales Rep is Now a Reality
The Story: Straight out of stealth, Artisan and Sam Stallings product team is building AI-powered sales development representatives that can automate the entire outbound sales process. This isn’t about assisting sales reps; it’s about replacing their prospecting and other grunt work.
The Takeaway: The sales development role is on the verge of a massive transformation. Artisan AI is proving that AI can handle the top-of-funnel prospecting and outreach, forcing a re-evaluation of the entire sales org structure.
The Question: Is your sales strategy built around human reps, or are you preparing for a future where AI manages the entire sales funnel?
10. HighLevel: The All-in-One Marketing Platform Taking Over
The Story: HighLevel is quietly becoming the dominant all-in-one marketing platform for agencies and SMBs. Robin Alex‘s team’s rapid growth proves that the SMB market is especially hungry for unified platforms that can replace a dozen different point solutions.
The Takeaway: The unbundling of marketing tech is officially over. HighLevel is proving that a single, unified platform can win the market, even against venture-backed competitors with massive funding.
The Question: Are you building a best-in-class point solution, or are you building the all-in-one platform that will make it irrelevant?
Who ARE the Emerging Players in the AI2SMB marketplace? Check out the B2SMB Emerging 180 for answers. A companion to our recently released B2SMB 300 Intelligence Hub, we’ve identified the fastest growing AI2SMB disruptors with offerings in Financial Services, Operations and Sales & Marketing. See the link in comments.
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