The B2B payments infrastructure gap: Most platforms weren’t built for agentic AI

§ 01 Executive Snapshot

• What: The article discusses the transition from traditional automation in B2B finance to agentic AI, highlighting the infrastructure challenges that hinder this evolution.
• Who: Key players include Allison Steitz from Paystand and Menlo Ventures, which provided insights on AI investments.
• Why it matters: This shift is crucial for enhancing efficiency in B2B payments, but many organizations' outdated tech stacks limit their ability to fully utilize agentic AI's capabilities.

§ 02 Key Developments

• Agentic AI can autonomously make data-informed decisions, unlike traditional automation that follows pre-defined rules.
• In 2025, only 16% of the $37 billion invested in enterprise AI deployments qualified as truly agentic.
• The need for a unified tech stack is critical as siloed systems reduce the effectiveness of AI agents in financial operations.

§ 03 Strategic Context

• The evolution from basic automation to agentic AI represents a significant leap in how financial processes can be optimized, offering potential for enhanced decision-making and efficiency.
• As organizations have historically relied on fragmented legacy systems, the shift to agentic AI necessitates a reevaluation of existing technological frameworks.

§ 04 Strategic Implications

• Immediate implications include the necessity for companies to reassess their tech stacks to effectively integrate agentic AI, which could lead to competitive advantages in B2B payments.
• Long-term implications may involve a fundamental transformation of financial operations, where businesses can leverage AI to not only automate but make intelligent, context-aware financial decisions.

§ 05 Risks & Constraints

• Potential risks include the challenges of integrating agentic AI with existing, siloed legacy systems that may not support the new technology effectively.
• There are also risks associated with financial transaction delays due to outdated processes, which could hinder the benefits of implementing agentic AI.

§ 06 Watchlist / Forward Signals

• Companies should monitor the adoption rates of agentic AI within the B2B payments space and the evolution of unified tech stacks among competitors.
• Key milestones include the establishment of partnerships with providers that offer integrated financial solutions to facilitate the adoption of agentic AI.