India's vibe-coding startup Emergent enters OpenClaw-like AI agent space | TechCrunch

Emergent, an Indian startup known for its vibe-coding platform, has launched Wingman, a messaging-first autonomous AI agent, as it expands into a growing category of software that runs in the background to complete tasks — popularized by tools like OpenClaw and Claude from Anthropic. The Bengaluru-based startup initially gained attention for its vibe-coding platform, which competes with tools like Cursor and Replit and lets users without technical backgrounds build full-stack applications via natural-language prompts. With Wingman, Emergent is now pushing beyond creation into execution, aiming to let AI agents handle routine tasks across tools and workflows. “The obvious next step for us was, can we help them not just build the software, but actually operate more autonomously through it?” said Mukund Jha, co-founder and CEO of Emergent. “You move from software that supports the business to software that can actively help run it.” Emergent said more than 8 million builders have used its vibe-coding platform to create and deploy software, with over 1.5 million monthly active users. Founded in 2025, the startup raised $70 million in January at a valuation of $300 million, with backing from investors including SoftBank, Khosla Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Image Credits:Emergent (screenshot) Wingman is designed to operate through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, allowing users to assign and monitor tasks through chat. At the same time, the agent run...