From Copilots to Agents: Rebuilding the Company Around AI

February 19, 2026

Here's something that might surprise you — Kavak, Latin America's largest used car marketplace, went all-in on AI. Carlos García Ottati, Kavak’s CEO, joins Angela Strange and Gabriel Vasquez from a16z to share how they replaced traditional copilot tools with AI agents that now handle 90 to 95% of customer interactions. It wasn’t easy — they went through a tough year of going flat, but the payoff? They grew four times over. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: building in emerging markets means actually running four businesses under one roof — local logistics, financing, customer service, and more. According to content+a16zpodcast@a16z, this layered approach is what makes scaling in places like Brazil and Mexico possible. So what does this mean for your business? Embracing AI isn’t just about automation — it’s about rethinking every part of your operation to grow faster and stronger, even in challenging markets. Keep an eye on how AI keeps transforming the way companies build from the ground up.

a16z's Angela Strange and Gabriel Vasquez speak with Carlos García Ottati, founder and CEO of Kavak, about building Latin America's largest online used car marketplace across Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and the Middle East. They discuss why building in emerging markets means constructing four businesses underneath your business, how Kavak replaced copilot tools with AI agents handling 90 to 95% of customer interactions, and what it took to go flat for a year during the transition before growing four times on the other side.

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