GitHub shipped a performance improvement to its Copilot cloud agent that reduces startup latency by over 20%. The gains come from purpose-built runner environments derived from custom GitHub Actions images, cutting the time before the agent begins meaningful work. The improvement applies whenever the agent is assigned an issue, launched from the Agents tab, or mentioned in a pull request. Faster agent startup reduces friction in agentic workflows where developers hand off tasks and expect near-immediate progress. For teams using Copilot's issue-to-PR automation, this translates directly to shorter feedback loops. The optimization also signals GitHub's continued investment in the infrastructure layer beneath its AI features, not just the model or UX surface.