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Glenn Kaonang · · 8 min readThey built AI agents on WhatsApp. Then Meta entered the chat
As a product manager, Yash Gadodia builds AI tools for Voltade, a Singapore-based startup that automates work for businesses using WhatsApp and email.
But for The Bon Pet, his side hustle selling pet food, he uses Meta Business Agent to answer customer inquiries alongside two part-time human workers. Meta’s shared inbox also lets his team handle messages across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger in one place.
Gadodia adopted the AI agent after getting a free-trial offer on the WhatsApp Business app around two months ago. The appeal is straightforward: Meta’s agent is free for now and can handle some basic inquiries, such as questions about recommended meal portions for a pet.
He said he’ll likely stop using the service once Meta starts charging. But his experience shows how the tech giant is already encroaching on the turf of Voltade and other startups selling AI agents on WhatsApp, putting its own product directly in front of their potential customers.
Image credit: Ulla
Meta introduced Business Agent globally in June and said it would begin charging for the service on August 1. The company says the agent can answer questions, recommend products, book appointments, and help close sales.
The product gives Meta another way to sell AI services to businesses already using its apps, as the company looks to generate returns from its mounting AI investments. In April, Meta raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to as much as US$145 billion, driven in part by its AI push.
It’s too early to tell how much business Meta will take from the startups that have built on WhatsApp. But those companies are now competing with the owner of the platform they depend on – one that has direct access to their prospective customers.
Pricing pressures
Businesses using Meta’s own agent can access a free allowance of AI replies through the WhatsApp Business app and pay for additional usage.
The economics are different for businesses using third-party AI providers. Starting October 1, WhatsApp will charge for message replies beyond the first 1,000 each month. That’s on top of what businesses pay their AI provider.
Meta’s Business Agent, in contrast, bundles AI processing and message delivery into a single charge. The company estimates a typical reply costs about 4 to 5 US cents.
“Meta’s greed is very visible,” says Joseph Simbar, CEO of Indonesian AI agent startup Mimin. “They want to eat from the message fee and the AIs.”
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Meta has turned from supplier to rival of AI agent startups built on WhatsApp. Founders and business owners share where the squeeze hits.
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