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Emergencyan Indian startup known for its vibe-coding platform, has launched Wingmanmessage-the first independent AI agent, as it grows into a growing group of programs that run in the background to complete tasks – popular with tools such as OpenClaw and Claude from Anthropic.
The Bengaluru-based startup gained attention with its vibe-coding platform, which competes with tools like Cursor and Replit and allows non-technical users to create more programs through natural language. With Wingman, Emergent is now pushing beyond the environment to be killed, in order to allow AI assistants to perform routine tasks on devices and workflows.
“The obvious next step for us was, can we help them not only build the software, but make it work seamlessly?” said Mukund Jha, co-founder and CEO of Emergent. “You go from programs that support the business to programs that can help run the business.”
Emergent said more than 8 million developers have used its vibe-coding platform to build and deploy apps, with more than 1.5 million monthly users. It is set in 2025, the beginning earned $70 million in January for $300 million, backed by investors including SoftBank, Khosla Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Wingman is designed to work through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, allowing users to assign and review tasks via chat. At the same time, the assistant runs in the background on connected devices such as e-mail, calendars, and work applications. It can perform routine tasks by default but requires the user’s approval for certain requirements, the developers said.
The implementation comes in the form of autonomous AI assistants appearing as a large battlefield in the industry, it’s a growing number of companies rushing to create tools that can complete tasks on behalf of users. Work like OpenClaw – formerly known as Clawdbot and Moltbot – have gained traction among early adopters, where players including Anthropic and Microsoft are working to address this space with their own agent-based systems.
Emergent is trying to differentiate itself by placing Wingman in messaging environments like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Apple’s iMessage, allowing users to connect with an agent via chat rather than a new interface. The startup also introduced what it calls “trust limits,” which allow an agent to operate normally while requiring the user’s approval for certain important tasks. This is intended to address concerns about autonomous systems.
Jha told TechCrunch that the idea to build Wingman within messaging platforms was driven by how people were already working. “A lot of real-world work is already done through chat, voice, and email — requesting something, following up, sharing news, making a decision,” Jha said. “Increasingly, they will be the main ways we work with sponsors.”
Like many AI agents, Wingman still suffers from weaknesses. Jha said the system suffers from “inconsistency in complex situations, complicated cases, unclear objectives, or workflows that require human judgment.”
Wingman is being released with a limited number of free trials, after which access will be paid for, with Emergent users able to use the agent through their accounts.
