TLDR: A new report by Prosus and Dealroom.co, ‘The Rise of the Agentic Workforce,’ reveals that autonomous AI agents are rapidly transforming the workplace, moving beyond mere tools to become digital co-workers. The report indicates that agentic AI has passed its adoption tipping point, attracting billions in venture capital, and predicts fully AI employees are only months away.
Organisations are on the cusp of a profound transformation as AI colleagues begin to work alongside human employees, fundamentally reshaping the future of work. This is the central finding of a new research report titled ‘The Rise of the Agentic Workforce: How Autonomous AI Agents Will Transform the Workplace,’ produced by Prosus in partnership with Dealroom.co, a leading global startup and venture capital intelligence platform.
The report delves into the emergence of ‘Agentic AI’ – autonomous AI systems distinguished by their ability to make independent decisions, learn, adapt, and take ownership of complete tasks. This marks a significant shift in how AI technology is integrating into professional environments, representing the third wave of AI development, following predictive and generative AI.
Fabricio Bloisi, CEO of Prosus, emphasized the magnitude of this change, stating, “The rise of agentic AI represents a foundational change in how we’ll work with AI technology in the coming years. We are past the tipping point of AI agent adoption and it is now firmly rooted in the workplace.” Bloisi also revealed Prosus’s ambitious plans to ‘hire the largest AI workforce in the industry this year,’ deploying AI agents across various organizational functions, from HR to customer support.
The comprehensive report mapped and categorized over 1,500 AI agents by application sectors, as well as platforms for building AI agents and tools to enhance their operations.
Key findings from the report include:
Rapid Adoption: Agentic AI is gaining traction swiftly, having already surpassed its adoption tipping point.
Digital Co-workers: AI agents are set to transform the workplace by functioning as digital co-workers, moving beyond their role as mere helpful tools.
Early Success in Coding: Coding agents are among the first to achieve product-market fit, with companies like Cursor noted as some of the fastest-growing ever.
Imminent Fully AI Employees: The report suggests that fully fledged AI employees are ‘months, rather than years away.’
Surging VC Investment: Venture Capital funding for agentic AI is rapidly increasing. It is projected to account for 10% of all AI funding rounds in 2025, totaling an estimated $6.7 billion in investment, with Europe demonstrating a disproportionately strong performance in securing this funding. In the first half of 2025 alone, global VC investment in agentic AI startups reached $2.8 billion.
Multi-Agent Future: Markets are heading towards a multi-agent future, which will necessitate different organizational structures and reward entirely new skill sets.
Leading Application Areas: Customer service and healthcare platforms are identified as the most funded application areas for agentic AI.
Also Read:
- Indian Enterprises Accelerate Agentic AI Adoption, Deloitte Report Reveals
- AI’s Expanding Reach: Jobs Once Deemed ‘AI-Proof’ Now Face Automation
As AI takes on more routine tasks, human employees will need to evolve their skillsets, focusing on strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and effectively guiding the performance of their ‘digital colleagues.’
