AI for the Middle Market: How Super Labs Is Bridging the Technology Gap
In a world where artificial intelligence has become increasingly essential for business success, a new Seattle startup is working to ensure that mid-market companies aren’t left behind in the technological revolution. Super Labs, co-founded by experienced entrepreneur Stefan Kalb and tech veteran Jared Kofron in September 2025, has just secured $8 million in seed funding to democratize access to AI technologies. This latest venture aims to help non-technical business owners implement sophisticated AI solutions without requiring in-house technical expertise—addressing a critical gap in the market that threatens to widen the competitive divide between enterprise giants and their smaller counterparts.
The genesis of Super Labs came from a pattern Kalb observed after his previous venture, Shelf Engine, was acquired by retail data company Crisp earlier in 2025. He found himself fielding constant inquiries from non-technical business leaders desperately seeking guidance on implementing AI within their operations. “If you’re non-technical, and you’re trying to move into the AI space—it’s really hard,” Kalb explains. These conversations revealed a significant market inefficiency: while enterprise companies with robust technical teams could readily adopt advanced AI systems, mid-market companies—which collectively represent an economic force larger than the S&P 500—were struggling to access and implement these same technologies. Without intervention, Kalb fears “the mid-market companies are going to get screwed” as the AI adoption gap widens, potentially creating insurmountable competitive disadvantages for these businesses that form a crucial part of the economy.
Super Labs differentiates itself by operating as both a marketplace and an implementation partner, creating a user-friendly bridge between business problems and AI solutions. The platform begins with simplicity: business owners describe their operational challenges in plain language—such as “I need to stop manually tracking project hours across three spreadsheets”—and the system then visualizes their existing workflows and identifies strategic points where AI can be integrated. Rather than building custom AI solutions from scratch, Super Labs typically connects businesses with existing, proven AI vendors that address specific needs, such as voice AI tools or document processing systems. The company’s core value proposition lies in handling the complex technical integration work that would typically require specialized engineering talent that many mid-market companies cannot afford or struggle to recruit. This approach allows traditional businesses in manufacturing, e-commerce, distribution, and retail to access sophisticated AI solutions that can automate workflows, reduce manual processes, and ultimately improve competitive positioning.
The business model creates value on both sides of the marketplace. For mid-market companies, Super Labs provides access to vetted AI solutions with professional implementation support, effectively removing the technical barriers to AI adoption. On the supply side, AI developers gain a new distribution channel to reach non-technical customers they might otherwise miss, with usage-based monetization models that align incentives for ongoing performance. While the AI implementation space is increasingly crowded, with competitors including agent directory platforms like Gumloop and Langflow as well as enterprise software marketplaces such as Vendr and Tropic, Kalb believes Super Labs’ marketplace approach combined with its focus on security and reliability creates meaningful differentiation. The recent $8 million seed funding round, led by Seattle-area venture firm FUSE and including notable investors like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, Liquid 2 Ventures, and Soma Capital, suggests substantial investor confidence in this approach.
Kalb brings valuable perspective from his entrepreneurial journey that shapes Super Labs’ direction. His first venture, Molly’s, was a healthy food company supplying salads and sandwiches to Seattle-area cafes and hospitals—a traditional business that gave him firsthand experience with the operational challenges facing non-technical companies. “I would have dreamed of having Super Labs,” Kalb reflects on his experience running Molly’s. His subsequent venture, Shelf Engine, applied AI to reduce food waste in grocery stores by predicting optimal ordering quantities for perishable goods, working with major retailers like Kroger, Target, and Dollar General. While Shelf Engine raised over $60 million and secured high-profile partnerships, it ultimately faced challenges that led to layoffs and what Kalb describes as a “disappointing acquisition” by Crisp. These experiences have informed Kalb’s approach with Super Labs, particularly regarding growth strategy.
The leadership team at Super Labs combines complementary expertise, with Kalb partnering with co-founder Jared Kofron, who brings deep technical credentials from his experience as a principal software engineer at Pioneer Square Labs and previous roles at companies including Flux, Rover, and Glowforge. This blend of business and technical leadership positions the company to understand both sides of the AI implementation challenge. Importantly, Kalb has stated he intends to be more measured in scaling Super Labs compared to his approach with Shelf Engine, where rapid hiring created operational difficulties. The investor consortium backing Super Labs includes a mix of institutional and individual investors, including Massive Tech Ventures (Kalb’s own venture fund), Mercury CEO Immad Akhund, Pioneer Fund, and longtime tech leader Gokul Rajarm. As artificial intelligence continues to transform how businesses operate, Super Labs is positioning itself as the essential bridge that ensures mid-market companies can participate in this technological revolution rather than being left behind—potentially preserving competitive balance in an economy where technical capability increasingly determines business success.
