mcp-use reaches 7K GitHub stars building open-source MCP infrastructure, eyes Supabase-style monetization

Luigi Pederzani, CEO of mcp-use, is building open-source developer tools and infrastructure for the Model Context Protocol. The GitHub repo has reached 7,000 stars and everything remains free under open license. The monetization strategy follows a Supabase model where developers adopt the tool first, then bring it into their companies as a managed cloud offering.

Enterprise adoption is already happening. About 20% of the current 100 users are enterprise customers, primarily tech-forward businesses with valuable existing software stacks. PayPal is using the platform. MCP lets these companies expose their software to AI agents, which aligns naturally with firms that are already digital-first.

Pederzani is raising capital, though the amount discussed remains unclear from the recording. The round is progressing well. He joined YC on his third application after pivoting away from virtual try-on for e-commerce, which he describes as a difficult market to sell into. Based in Zurich, he is staying in the Bay Area. His first business revenue came from converting an open-source user at mcp-use into a paying customer.

“7K stars. Everything's free. And then there's a cloud version eventually — like Supabase, they have a bottom-up approach, they get developers and those developers introduce the tool inside the company. Enterprise is 20% of our users.”