San Francisco · AI agents

Build AI Agents in San Francisco with One API Key

San Francisco is where AI agent products get designed, demoed, and shipped. If you are searching for an AI agent API in San Francisco, SandBase gives Bay Area builders one key for models, real-world data APIs, hosted agents/sessions, and code sandboxes—so you spend time on product, not provider glue.

ONE API KEYMODELS · DATA · AGENTSSANDBOXES

Paste set up https://www.sandbase.ai/SKILL.md into your AI assistant

What SandBase is for San Francisco builders

SandBase is the AI agent infrastructure layer San Francisco startups use when they need more than a single model endpoint. With one SandBase API key you can:

  • Call 2,000+ models and data APIs across 100+ platforms
  • Define reusable Agents and run them in hosted Sessions (OpenAI Agents / OpenAgentCore-compatible)
  • Run agent code in an E2B-compatible sandbox
  • Let your local AI assistant discover and call tools via SKILL.md

Free agents and sandboxes are available, and eligible data APIs include 100 free calls per day per organization (resets 00:00 UTC). Model usage is billed from your SandBase balance—check each model or API page before you run it.

Base URL: https://api.sandbase.ai/v1 · Auth: Authorization: Bearer $SANDBASE_API_KEY

Why San Francisco for AI agents

The Bay Area remains the densest place on earth to build and sell agent products—from SoMa and Mission Bay offices to Stanford and UC Berkeley research pipelines feeding founder teams.

Independent rankings back that up:

SandBase is built for that pace: one key, OpenAI Agents-compatible APIs, and sandboxes you can wire into a demo before your next Mission Bay standup.

Local builder scenarios (San Francisco)

1. SoMa demo day research agent

A two-person team near Townsend Street needs a live brief before investor meetings: pull recent X posts and docs about a vertical, dedupe in a sandbox, and return a cited memo. With SandBase they create one agent, attach data APIs, and run the job in a Session—without stitching three vendor keys the night before the pitch.

2. Mission Bay eval loop for an OpenAI Agents stack

A product eng migrating from a pure OpenAI Agents prototype points the OpenAI SDK at https://api.sandbase.ai/v1, keeps client.beta.agents, and adds SandBase data tools plus a sandbox for deterministic eval scripts. Same mental model; broader toolkit for Bay Area customers who expect multi-model and multi-source agents.

3. Stanford–Berkeley hackathon weekend

Students and early founders around campus (and the companies they join after) need an agent sandbox in the Bay Area workflow that starts free and stays portable. Paste set up https://www.sandbase.ai/SKILL.md into Cursor or Claude Code, discover APIs, then graduate the same key into a hosted Agent when the prototype sticks.

How it works

  1. Create a SandBase API key in the Console.
  2. Define an Agent with model, instructions, and tools (POST /v1/agents or the OpenAI SDK).
  3. Wait for projection_status: ready, then create a Session and send input.
  4. Optional: run code in a SandBase sandbox via the E2B SDK (https://sandbox.sandbase.ai).
  5. Optional: connect your AI assistant with SKILL.md for discover → inspect → run.

Full walkthrough: Docs · Agents API · Sandbox quickstart

Code sample (OpenAI Agents–compatible)

Verified pattern from SandBase docs: OpenAI Python SDK with SandBase base URL.

Python
import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["SANDBASE_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.sandbase.ai/v1",
)

agent = client.beta.agents.create(
    model="deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash",
    name="SF research assistant",
    instructions=(
        "Research the question for a San Francisco AI startup audience. "
        "Compare at least two sources and cite them."
    ),
    metadata={"city": "san-francisco", "team": "product"},
)

print(agent.id, agent.version)  # agt_..., 1
# Start Sessions only after projection_status is ready.
Create a session when the Agent is ready
curl -X POST https://api.sandbase.ai/v1/agents/sessions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SANDBASE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"agent_id": "agt_..."}'

Need an isolated workspace for scripts and files? Follow the Sandbox quickstart.

Stack comparison for Bay Area teams

Stack comparison for Bay Area teams
NeedTypical DIY stackWith SandBase
ModelsSeparate keys per providerOne key, catalog of models
Real-world dataCustom scrapers / N vendor APIsDiscover & call data APIs on one balance
AgentsHomegrown runtimeOpenAI Agents / OpenAgentCore-compatible Agents + Sessions
Code executionSelf-hosted runnersE2B-compatible sandboxes on your SandBase key
Local AI toolsManual MCP wiringSKILL.md setup for Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and more

If you searched for an OpenAI Agents API alternative in SF, SandBase is designed as a compatible path with a wider toolkit—not a fork of your SDK habits.

Proof, events, and the SF ecosystem

Use public sources—not invented offices or latency claims—when you position SandBase for San Francisco:

Neighborhood context for copy and outreach: SoMa (product/eng density, Moscone corridor), Mission Bay (life-science + AI crossover), and the Stanford–Berkeley talent loop. SandBase does not claim a public storefront phone number or city-specific latency SLAs on this page.

FAQ

Is SandBase an AI agent API for San Francisco startups?

Yes. SandBase is a global platform with city landing pages for geo SEO. San Francisco teams use the same one-key API for models, data APIs, Agents/Sessions, and sandboxes. There is no requirement to be physically in SF to use the product.

Do I need a Bay Area office or local phone number to use SandBase?

No. SandBase is API-first. This page highlights why SF demand for AI agents and agent infrastructure is high; it is not a claim that SandBase operates a public SF retail office.

How is SandBase different from only using the OpenAI Agents API in SF?

You keep OpenAI Agents–compatible patterns (base_url="https://api.sandbase.ai/v1", client.beta.agents) while unlocking SandBase’s model/data catalog, hosted OpenAgentCore runtime, and E2B-compatible sandboxes under one key—useful when Bay Area demos need multi-source tools quickly.

Do I need a separate API key for each model or data provider?

No. One SandBase API key accesses the models and APIs available on SandBase. Keep the key server-side; never ship it in browser bundles.

How does pricing and the free tier work?

Model and API usage bills from your SandBase balance—check each listing for price and unit. Free agents and sandboxes are offered; eligible data APIs share 100 free calls per day per organization (reset 00:00 UTC). Calls beyond the allowance are billed at listed prices; AI model calls are separate.

Where should SF teams start this week?

Get a key on sandbase.ai, skim the API reference, run the sandbox quickstart, or paste set up https://www.sandbase.ai/SKILL.md into your coding agent.

Start building in San Francisco

Ship your next agent with one SandBase key—models, data APIs, sessions, and sandboxes included.

Other pilot cities: New York · London · Singapore. Bengaluru is next. Its page is not published yet.