Catena
Set controls for payments made on a user's behalf by an AI agent.
Catena Labs Funding History
Catena Labs is building a payments platform that lets AI agents transact under defined rules. The company is also pursuing a US national trust bank charter.
Company Overview
Catena Labs
Founded 2024 · Boston, Massachusetts, US
Official WebsiteCatena Labs Funding Timeline
Series A
US$30M
Catena Labs also announced it was applying for a national trust bank charter.
Led by Acrew Capital, Andreessen Horowitz. Participation included General Catalyst.
Source · fortune.com ↗Seed
US$18 million
Catena published an open-source kit for agent identity and payments alongside the financing announcement.
Led by Andreessen Horowitz. Participation included Balaji Srinivasin.
Source · catena.com ↗
Catena Labs Founding Team
Sean Neville co-founded Catena Labs after helping start Circle, where he served as chief technology officer and president. He brought experience building financial infrastructure around digital assets. The founding team included Matt Venables.
Catena Labs Products
Catena Labs Company Development
The Path to a National Trust Bank Charter
Catena opened its banking and governance platform while pursuing a US national trust bank charter. The OCC granted preliminary conditional approval in September 2026, moving the bank proposal to a new stage while leaving further conditions to satisfy.
Catena Labs Competitive Landscape
Trust-Bank Governance Versus Payment Rails
Catena and Skyfire both address what happens when software agents initiate payments. Skyfire supplies identity and payment infrastructure, while Catena is building around policy controls and has pursued a trust bank charter. The distinction matters to a business deciding which party should enforce spending rules.
