Former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has officially introduced Parallel Web Systems Inc., a cloud-based platform designed to help artificial intelligence systems conduct large-scale online research more efficiently. Founded in 2023, the Palo Alto–based startup is aiming to reshape the web into a system that supports AI as its primary user.
Agrawal, who was ousted by Elon Musk after his takeover of Twitter (now X) in 2022, has since assembled a 25-member team to drive his vision forward. The company has already raised $30 million in funding from top investors, including Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, and Index Ventures.
In a LinkedIn post, Agrawal highlighted Parallel’s impact:
“We already power millions of research tasks every day, across ambitious startups and public enterprises. Some of the fastest-growing AI companies use Parallel to bring web intelligence directly into their platforms and agents.”
Deep Research API Outperforms Humans & Leading Models
Parallel recently launched its Deep Research API, which Agrawal claims is the first to surpass human-level performance as well as advanced AI systems like GPT-5 on key research benchmarks. The platform already supports AI coding agents, enterprise workflows, and large-scale knowledge retrieval, making it a backbone for startups and corporations seeking machine-driven insights.
Rethinking the Internet: From Human-Centric to AI-Centric
Parallel’s mission is based on the belief that the current internet was built for humans, but the next era belongs to artificial intelligence. In a blog post, the company explained:
- The web is humanity’s memory: While the internet enabled learning and collaboration at scale, it was designed for people, not machines.
- AI is becoming the web’s primary user: Unlike humans, AIs can scan massive databases, process information instantly, and run research at scale.
- Old models don’t work for AI: Advertising, paywalls, and gated APIs restrict machine access, risking knowledge silos.
- A Programmatic Web for AIs: Parallel envisions a system where AI can request information, process it, and generate reliable outputs while crediting sources.
Key Principles of Parallel’s AI-First Web
Parallel has outlined several guiding principles for its AI-ready internet:
- Unified infrastructure combining data, computation, and reasoning.
- Declarative interfaces where AIs specify what they need, and the system determines how to fulfill it.
- Transparent attribution ensuring sources are credited and contributions measurable.
- Open markets that reward knowledge-sharing economically, ensuring openness is sustainable.
How Parallel Works
Instead of traditional human browsing and clicks, Parallel allows AI systems to request knowledge directly. Its platform will handle searching, organizing, and verifying information while providing attribution to original sources. This ensures that contributors are both recognized and rewarded, creating a fairer, AI-ready ecosystem.
Agrawal frames Parallel’s mission as “building for abundance”, a vision where the internet adapts to serve its second user—artificial intelligence—or risks becoming outdated.