Professional Overview
Jonah Katz serves as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Layer, a technology company focused on building and supporting MCP (Multi-Channel Protocol) servers. Layer’s platform enables popular AI tools such as Cursor, Lovable, and ChatGPT to directly access and interact with their clients’ platforms and APIs through the MCP infrastructure. Jonah has held this role since February 2023, operating out of New York, New York, United States.
Company and Business Focus
Layer emerged from stealth mode in 2023 and has secured $3 million in funding led by notable investors including Drive Capital, 1517 Fund, Alumni Ventures, Resolute Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Expansion Venture Capital, ERA, and several angel investors. The company explicitly helps other organizations simplify the development and deployment of MCP servers—a critical backend technology enabling AI-driven automation and integration with existing business systems.
Layer's technology emphasizes infrastructure often described as "quiet and unsexy," turning APIs into "agent-ready" tools critical for enabling the "agentic internet," an internet populated with autonomous AI agents interacting via these protocols. This infrastructure supports advanced features like CRUD operations on calendaring platforms (e.g., cal.com) directly from MCP clients, as well as automated task creation from meeting transcripts.
Experience and Career Trajectory
Prior to founding Layer, Jonah Katz was the Chief Executive Officer at Wav AI from October 2019 to December 2022. Wav AI developed sound detection software targeted at safety and security applications. The project is characterized as a "failed fast" experience, providing significant learning and pivoting insights. Before that, Jonah briefly served as Branch Manager at Full Service Painting LLC, where he realized a lack of interest in that industry.
Jonah’s educational background includes studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focused on Communication.
Industry Recognition and Activities
- Jonah was recognized in Forbes’ Cleveland "30 Under 30" list (2025), highlighting his emerging prominence in technology and entrepreneurship.
- Actively shares thought leadership on LinkedIn, including articles such as "Why MCP Experience Matters" (April 2025) and regular posts about company tools, partnerships, and educational events.
- Layer’s team, including CTO Andrew Hamilton, has conducted public lessons and workshops on MCP technologies, including standing up MCP servers following best practices. These initiatives show an emphasis on community engagement and technical evangelism.
- Jonah frequently highlights the necessity for product excellence, emphasizing that products must be 3-5 times better than incumbents to succeed in enterprise markets.
Social Presence and Influence
Jonah maintains a LinkedIn profile with over 18,000 followers and more than 500 connections, demonstrating significant reach and influence within the AI and startup communities. He also actively posts on Twitter (@katz_jonah) and shares company updates, technology insights, and personal experiences related to AI and product development. His communications are data-driven and reflect a deep engagement with AI tooling and the MCP protocol ecosystem.
Technical Interests and Positioning
- Jonah and his company are heavily involved with the development and promotion of MCP servers, which fundamentally serve as infrastructure for AI tools to interact seamlessly with multiple platforms.
- Layer's MCP infrastructure is being adopted by leading AI tools, reflecting its role at the intersection of AI automation, API management, and developer productivity enhancement.
- Their product supports integrations such as automatic task generation from meeting transcripts, indicating an emphasis on workflow automation and operational efficiency.
- Collaborative engagements, e.g., with cal.com and participation in APIDays and Fractal Tech events, suggest Layer is positioning itself as a key enabler for AI copilot technologies and the broader AI agent ecosystem.
Funding and Financial Backing
- $3 million raised in early funding rounds
- Investors include a mix of venture capital and angel investors with a focus on AI and enterprise technology startups
This financial backing indicates a well-supported yet still relatively early-stage company with room for growth and expansion in the AI infrastructure market.
This profile reflects a founder with a strong technical understanding of AI integration infrastructure, proven experience in startup leadership and pivoting, and connections within the emerging field of autonomous AI agents enabled by MCP protocol technology. Layer’s funding, technology focus, and growing community engagement position Jonah Katz as a knowledgeable and well-supported executive in the AI infrastructure sector.
