Sierra’s Next AI Bet: Acquiring Takeoff to Build ‘Human-Level’ Agents at Software Scale

Sierra is expanding its push into autonomous artificial intelligence agents with the acquisition of Takeoff, an AI startup that grew from zero revenue to a nearly eight-figure run rate in less than a year.

Takeoff founder Aakash Thumaty announced the deal in a post on X, saying the company will join forces with Sierra to accelerate the development and deployment of AI agents capable of handling complex, human-like workflows across industries.

The acquisition comes as companies race to build the next generation of AI systems that can move beyond answering questions and instead execute tasks, manage processes and deliver measurable business outcomes.

"Agents that operate like humans but scale like software" have become the central thesis behind Takeoff’s technology, Thumaty said, noting that the future of enterprise AI will be built around solutions tied directly to business results rather than simply providing access to large language models.

AI for Long-Horizon Tasks

Takeoff, founded 14 months ago, built an agent runtime designed to allow AI systems to perform long-horizon tasks, complex assignments that require reasoning, decision-making and interaction over extended periods.

The startup said its AI agents have been deployed across five industries, including lending and healthcare, where they have competed against existing processes and systems in customer tests.

Thumaty said the company reached nearly eight figures in revenue earlier this month while operating with a three-person team, a growth trajectory that could have led to another fundraising round. Instead, the company chose to partner with Sierra, citing the opportunity to scale faster with Sierra’s resources, customer relationships and enterprise reach.

The two companies will combine their technology efforts under a new platform called Horizon, which will focus on building and deploying long-horizon AI agents for businesses.

Sierra CEO Bret Taylor and co-founder Clay Bavor shared a similar vision, according to Thumaty, who said discussions between the companies revealed a shared belief that the biggest AI companies will be built around delivering outcomes rather than simply providing infrastructure.

Following the acquisition, Takeoff said it will continue working with existing customers while expanding the availability of its AI agent technology through Sierra’s platform.

"We believe Takeoff and Sierra together have both the product capabilities and deployment infrastructure needed to scale AI agents globally," Thumaty said.

Photo: Shutterstock