Runlayer has filed a lawsuit against HR‑tech giant Rippling, alleging that the company stole its proprietary MCP gateway technology—a core piece of infrastructure that Runlayer says powers secure, multi‑system automation for enterprise clients. The complaint marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the two firms and highlights growing competition in the fast‑moving world of workflow orchestration and AI‑driven enterprise automation.
Rippling denies the allegations, calling the lawsuit “baseless” and asserting that its gateway technology was developed independently. The company argues that the features Runlayer describes are standard within modern enterprise automation platforms and not proprietary innovations.
At the center of the dispute is the MCP gateway, a system designed to let companies securely connect internal tools, external APIs, and AI agents without exposing sensitive data. Runlayer says its gateway is unique because it handles complex permissioning, multi‑step workflows, and real‑time orchestration across distributed systems—capabilities that have become increasingly important as enterprises adopt AI agents and automated operations.
The lawsuit arrives at a moment when both companies are aggressively expanding. Rippling has been pushing deeper into automation and IT management, while Runlayer has gained attention for its developer‑friendly agent infrastructure. With AI agents becoming a foundational layer for enterprise software, control over gateway technology could determine which platforms dominate the next wave of automation.
Whether the case results in damages, a settlement, or a drawn‑out legal battle, it underscores a broader trend: as AI‑powered automation becomes central to enterprise operations, the fight over the underlying infrastructure is intensifying.