TLDR: An MIT startup, Fundamental Research Labs, has developed ‘Shortcut,’ a viral AI tool designed to automate complex spreadsheet tasks, potentially transforming how businesses handle data and financial modeling. Its creators envision it as a successor to traditional spreadsheet software like Excel, streamlining workflows through natural language prompts.
Fundamental Research Labs, an innovative startup spun out of MIT, has introduced ‘Shortcut,’ an artificial intelligence tool that is rapidly gaining traction for its potential to redefine productivity in spreadsheet-heavy tasks. The company believes Shortcut could have a transformative impact akin to that of Microsoft Excel.
Shortcut operates as a system of AI agents capable of executing multi-step work within a spreadsheet environment. Users can provide natural language prompts and upload documents, which the AI agents then ‘read’ to generate complex outputs such as business models and detailed financial statements. This capability has already led to significant viral success, with the tool reportedly racking up 3.5 million views on X.
According to Nico Christie, co-founder and CEO of Fundamental Research, the vision for Shortcut is not to merely enhance Excel, but to eliminate the necessity of opening it altogether. ‘Shortcut can already take on complex workflows that people spend hours doing in spreadsheets,’ Christie stated. ‘It’s not about replacing Excel — it’s about replacing the need to open Excel in the first place.’
When compared to existing solutions like Microsoft Copilot for Excel, Christie highlights a key distinction: while Copilot assists with specific tasks such as writing formulas or creating charts, Shortcut is designed for comprehensive financial modeling and analysis. For instance, it can generate full discounted cash flow models in minutes, a task that typically consumes hours for human experts.
Remarkably, Shortcut has demonstrated impressive performance in challenging scenarios, scoring over 80% on Microsoft Excel World Championship cases and completing them approximately ten times faster than human participants. Christie acknowledges that the tool is ‘not 100% accurate,’ but argues that this level of perfection isn’t necessary, as the AI’s speed frees up users’ time for crucial double-checking.
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The tool’s interface is intentionally designed to resemble Excel, featuring familiar green lines and tabs, alongside a sidebar for user prompts. It supports opening and uploading existing Excel files, allowing for direct manipulation. A significant advantage of Shortcut over traditional macro scripts or cloud-based automation is its adaptability; it can adjust mid-task if variables like file names change or menu options move, ensuring workflows remain unbroken. Furthermore, Shortcut prioritizes transparency, showing users which values are hard-coded versus formula-driven and citing data sources, enhancing trust in its outputs. This makes it beneficial for both Excel experts, who can work faster, and non-experts, who gain access to complex spreadsheet tasks previously beyond their reach.
