Wix Acquires Base44, Vibe-Coding Startup, for $80M in Cash
Israeli startup Base44, a vibe-coding platform, has been acquired by Wix in a deal worth $80 million in cash. The six-month-old company, founded by 31-year-old Maor Shlomo, grew rapidly to 250,000 users and generated $189,000 in profit in May alone.
Base44 allows users to create applications by entering text prompts, a unique approach that attracted significant attention. Shlomo started the venture as a side project and drove its expansion primarily through social media updates.
The company secured partnerships with prominent Israeli tech companies such as eToro and Similarweb. Shlomo chose Anthropic's Claude LLM for Base44 due to its cost-per-performance advantages over OpenAI models. This strategic decision contributed to the company's profitability.
Wix's acquisition of Base44 provides them with a profitable LLM vibe-coding product. The deal includes a $25 million retention bonus for Base44's eight employees. Notably, OpenAI paid $3 billion for Windsurf, a similar startup founded in 2021, indicating the high value placed on such innovative platforms.
The acquisition of Base44 by Wix highlights the growing interest in vibe-coding platforms and the potential of such startups to generate significant value in a short period. With this acquisition, Wix expands its offerings in the AI and coding space, while Maor Shlomo and his team stand to benefit from the $25 million retention bonus.
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