By Guardian staff reporter
Publication Date: 2026-02-10 17:00:00
WAs Lunos, an AI startup in New York City, prepared to launch, its founder and CEO Duncan Barrigan and his team wanted to make a splash. So they spent $3,500 to do the unconventional: They hired a horse and a cowboy to lasso the Wall Street bull.
On a sultry evening in late September, the cowboy galloped toward the iconic sculpture in Lower Manhattan. Wearing ranch clothes and a Western hat with the Lunos logo, he lassoed the bull’s horns as invited guests and curious passersby looked on. He and the horse then circled the statue and handed out cowboy hats and logoed stress balls.
The goal was simple: Lunos’ pitch to tame the “Wild West” of demands and convey it as literally and publicly as possible. The startup uses AI to automate invoices, track balances and track payments.
“We were trying to figure out how to differentiate ourselves as a serious startup,” said Alex Mann, head of growth at Lunos.
With…