How Kong Was Born: APIs, Hustle, and the Future of AI Infrastructure

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

October 21, 2025

Duration

37m

Channel

a16z

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Augusto Marietti, CEO and cofounder of Kong, has one of the most remarkable founder stories in Silicon Valley history. In this conversation with Martin Casado, Aghi shares how he went from a garage in Milan to building one of the world’s leading API infrastructure companies, surviving years of rejection, living in the U.S. on $1,000 a month, and raising his first $50K while sleeping on Travis Kalanick’s couch. They talk about the near-death moments that defined Kong’s journey, the seven-year grind before breakout success, and how APIs became the “assembly line of software.” Aghi also explains how Kong evolved into the backbone of modern API and AI connectivity, and why the coming wave of AI agents will make APIs more essential than ever. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:27 The 90-Day Fundraising Mission 02:57 Cold Emailing 400 Investors Overnight 04:49 Negotiating at Travis Kalanick’s House 06:46 Living on $1,000 a Month in San Francisco 09:18 Pivoting to the API Marketplace 11:00 The Seed Round with NEA, Index, and Bezos 14:19 Getting U.S. Visas and Help from Sam Altman 17:14 Series A, CRV, and Proving the Model 19:22 The Pivot That Created Kong 20:59 Launching Open Source and Surviving on a Bridge Round 21:55 Raising the Series B with a16z 23:40 Hitting Growth Milestones and the Car Bet 25:57 Kong’s Breakout and API Leadership 28:52 AI, APIs, and the Future of Connectivity 34:27 Lessons for Founders Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Resources: Follow Aghi on X: x.com/sonicaghi Follow Martin on X: x.com/martin_casado Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Augusto Marietti

  guest

  Founder and CEO of Kong (formerly Mashape), an API infrastructure and gateway company.

• Martin Casado

  host

  General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) focused on infrastructure and enterprise/AI systems.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Augusto Marietti and Martin Casado, How Kong Was Born: APIs, Hustle, and the Future of AI Infrastructure explores kong’s origin story: relentless hustle, pivots, and AI-ready infrastructure Marietti describes arriving in the U.S. with almost no money and a 90-day deadline, using extreme hustle (including mass cold-emailing investors) to secure an early angel lifeline.

🔗 RELATED EPISODES

The Golden Age Thesis | Marc Andreessen on MTS

The Investor Behind Costco, Starbucks, and Blackstone | Tony James on The a16z Show

Digital Freedom, AI Regulation, and the Fight for the Western Internet | The a16z Show

Crypto Experts Explain Stablecoins & the Future Financial System w/ Ali Yahya & Arianna Simpson

Why Scale Will Not Solve AGI | Vishal Misra - The a16z Show

Emil Michael: The Department of War Is Moving Faster Than Silicon Valley on AI | The a16z Show