From Vibe Coding to $80 Million: How a 31-Year-Old Developers Startup Caught the Eye of Wix in Just Six Months

A 31-year-old coder named Maor Shlomo from Israel recently shared how he launched an AI application development tool called Base44 through a method known as vibe coding. Within just six months of its inception, the project was acquired by the local company Wix for $80 million.

Shlomo founded Base44 in 2024 with a small team of only six members, and the startup did not seek any outside investment. The developers focused on creating an accessible tool that enables individuals without programming skills to build applications and games simply by entering prompts in natural language.

In a matter of months, Base44 attracted over 100,000 users. The startup formed partnerships with several tech companies in Israel, including eToro and Similarweb.

With Wix’s support, Base44 is poised to scale and expand into the global market. If the startup meets specific revenue targets by 2029, the deal value may increase.

Notably, half of Base44’s user base originates from the U.S., while a quarter comes from Israel. In early June, Shlomo reported that the startup earned $189,000 in profits, surpassing their initial goal of $100,000. Until recently, Wix operated at a loss despite generating over $1 billion in revenue, but now it can leverage this startup to enter the AI market. There are plans to integrate the tool into existing products.

Importantly, Base44 will retain its brand and product identity. “The company began as a side project, but if we achieve our goals, anyone or any organization will be able to create software that addresses specific problems—ranging from project management to CRM systems,” Shlomo stated.

“Our market is vast, and our system has the potential to replace entire software categories simply because it empowers people to create software themselves rather than purchasing it,” he added.

At 24, Shlomo co-founded Explorium, a predictive analytics company that utilizes big data. Currently, the company has more than 100 employees, generating about $125 million in revenue.

Meanwhile, indie developer Levesio utilized vibe coding tools to create a flight simulator akin to Microsoft’s Flight Simulator and has begun selling advertising within it. In just 10 days, the project creator earned over $38,000.