Decagon, an AI customer service startup, completed its initial employee buyout, allowing over 300 employees to sell their vested shares at a $4.5 billion valuation. The buyout was led by investors from its recent $250 million Series D funding round, including Coatue and a16z. This move highlights the trend of AI companies (such as ElevenLabs) providing liquidity to retain talent. CEO Zhang Jie stated that the transaction was to meet investor demands and reward the team, as the company's valuation has doubled from $1.5 billion since June. Decagon's AI customer service agents serve clients like Avis Budget Group, targeting the global market with 17 million call center customer service representatives.