Headless Apps, Agents Do the Tapping
Maor Hacun@maorhacun
The idea
I believe apps are going headless: AI agents will do the browsing, booking and buying, so value shifts from screens to the services agents call behind the scenes. Since it's unclear which layer wins, this basket spreads across agent platforms, the plumbing and data layer agents read and write, payment rails, and agent-first workflow software, with big names as ballast and mid-sized infrastructure for upside. I keep a small cash reserve to add on weakness, avoid concentrating in any single name, and plan to hold for years as this plays out.
What it owns
- Agents need infrastructure to run on, and the major cloud providers and AI model makers host them regardless of which application wins. · MicrosoftAgents need cloud infrastructure to run on, and Azure provides that platform while Copilot brings agents into office workflows., AmazonAWS hosts agent applications while the Amazon store remains accessible to external shopping agents., AlphabetIt builds the Gemini model powering its own agents and rents Google Cloud to companies building theirs, capturing value either way.22%
- Agents require authentication, secure web access, and message delivery to function, and these companies provide those services. · CloudflareIt manages access to large portions of the web and can control which agents and bots reach their destinations., CrowdStrikeIt protects against security threats from agents that can click, purchase and modify systems on behalf of users., TwilioIt supplies the APIs agents use to send messages and make phone calls when communicating with people., OktaIt manages identity and access permissions that every agent needs to act securely on behalf of users and companies.21%
- When agents make purchases on behalf of users, payments still need to settle through existing networks and checkout systems. · VisaIt operates the default payment network that agents use when making purchases on behalf of users., ShopifyIt already enables headless commerce where the store backend operates independently of any frontend, making it directly accessible to agents., MastercardIt is developing merchant trust tools for agent purchases, including an AI detection score for transactions.19%
- Without a user interface, the data agents read and write becomes central to their value, and these companies store and monitor it. · SnowflakeIt provides the data warehouse where companies store information that agents need to read and act upon., MongoDBIt is the database developers choose when building new applications, including those designed around agents., DatadogIt provides monitoring and observability for agent systems running without user interfaces., ElasticIt provides fast search across company documents and records, enabling agents to find and retrieve information quickly.19%
- Business software platforms are converting manual workflows into agent-executable tasks that run without human clicks. · SalesforceIt is converting its software so agents run tasks through Agentforce instead of requiring manual clicking., ServiceNowIt manages IT, HR and approval workflows that agents can now execute autonomously within its platform.12%
- Cash7%