Open-source orchestration layer for running multi-agent “companies” where AIs act as CEO, engineers, designers, and QA — coordinating via a ticketing system, heartbeats, and per-agent budgets. Launched early March 2026; hit 36,000 GitHub stars in three weeks.
Key facts
- Type: Multi-agent orchestration platform / agent “company” runtime
- License: MIT (fully open source)
- Launch date: Early March 2026
- Popularity: 36,000+ GitHub stars within 3 weeks of launch [src-001]
- Compatible with: Claude Code, OpenClaw, Codex, Cursor — “bring your own agents”
- Deployment: Runs locally by default (localhost), VPS-compatible for remote access
- Founder quote: Co-founder “Dota” cited terminal sprawl (20 concurrent Claude Code sessions) as the core pain point [src-001]
What it does
Paperclip lets you define an org chart of AI agents — a CEO, engineers, marketers, designers, QA — and coordinate them through a web dashboard instead of through individual terminal sessions. Each agent has its own instruction files (agents.md, heartbeat.md, soul.md, tools.md), its own model/provider adapter, and its own monthly budget.
The orchestration model inverts the usual human-in-the-loop pattern. Instead of you chatting with one agent at a time, you act as a board: you set high-level goals, comment on issues, approve or deny hires, and review outputs. The CEO agent delegates actual work — hiring new agents, creating projects, breaking down milestones.
Key features Nate Herk demonstrated [src-001]:
- Heartbeats — see Heartbeats (Agent Wake-ups). Agents wake up every 4/8/12 hours, re-read their context files, check their task queue, and continue work. Replicates what made OpenClaw proactive.
- Ticketing system — every conversation, issue, and approval is logged and linkable.
- Per-agent model choice and budget — CEO can run Sonnet 4.6 while designers run a cheaper model. Hard monthly spend cap per agent.
- Company templates — pre-built org charts (GStack, Superpowers, Agency Agents) can be imported. One template shipped with 48 agents pre-configured.
- Skills marketplace — integrates with skills.sh. Paste a GitHub URL or skills.sh path into the company skills panel and all agents get that skill.
- Routines (beta) — define a scheduled or webhook-triggered workflow assigned to an agent. Cron-like automation over conversation.
- Multi-company support — run multiple companies in one Paperclip instance (e.g., “Proof Shot” and “AIS Content” side by side).
Related
- See also: Claude Code, OpenClaw, Heartbeats (Agent Wake-ups), Agent Orchestration, Multi-Agent Companies, Zero-Human Companies, Agent Budget Controls
- Compared against: _(no comparison pages yet)_
Source references
- [src-001] Nate Herk — “Claude Code + Paperclip Just Destroyed OpenClaw” (2026-03-28)