Web browsers have realized that they are one of the best ways for users to access the current set of AI tools, so they are working to be the first-choice containers for that. SigmaOS, a Y Combinator-backed company, is now banking on users' willingness to use and pay for its AI tools, as the company launches new features like link preview summaries and “find it” browsing features.
Some of these features look and work like recent versions of competing browser Arc. But SigmaOS claims that its feature produces better quality results, which is a difficult metric to measure.
The company is releasing a tap to summarize feature on desktop, which works somewhat like Arc's new mobile feature. While the features summary captures sections like information, ratings, reviews, prices, and photos from an Airbnb listing, it only provides a small paragraph of information for an article, which is not enough. The Arc Browser's summarization function also had some drawbacks of its own in terms of missing key information, but it worked consistently across formats.
Image credits: Sigma OS
SigmaOS will adapt to different page types in the coming months and will provide summaries in different formats based on the web page, said company co-founder Mahyad Ghasemibuyaghchi.
SigmaOS's marquee feature from this release is called Find It. It surfs the web for a specific query and creates a summary page from the information it finds. This is similar to Arc's “Browse for me” function, but on desktop. One key difference is that users can ask follow-up questions to explore more about the topic.
Image credits: Sigma OS
In addition, the startup is also rolling out on-hover link previews and automatic renaming of locked (pinned) pages.
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Last year, SigmaOS released some AI-powered features like a contextual assistant called Airis, which can answer your questions about a web page or the broader web.
At one point, the startup tried to monetize through team-based features. Now, the company is looking to monetize its AI features. She said that all users will get access to the AI-powered features but for $20 per month, users will get better price caps for the AI features. For $30 per month, they will get unlimited usage and the ability to choose between different models such as GPT-4, Perplexity, and Claude 3 Haiku.
Separately, the company is now thinking big by launching an AI agent-like feature, which will let you use the browser in hands-free mode. In a demo video, Ghasemi Boyagci demonstrates how users can clear emails or book an Airbnb by interacting with the browser with voice. This is a similar idea to the Rabbit r1, which aims to traverse an interface to complete a task.
The company also aims to build so-called “recursive flows,” which are automated actions based on triggers such as time. You can think of them as If Thisthen That (IFTTT) browsers, but that's still in the concept stage.
Separately, SigmaOS competitor Arc, which recently raised $50 million in funding at a $550 million valuation, announced in January that it plans to build an AI agent that surfs the web for you.
Ghasemi Boyagci said that more than 100,000 users are using their product. To date, SigmaOS has raised $4 million from investors like LocalGlobe and Y Combinator. Through this launch, the company aims to gain some momentum and prepare for its next raise.
