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Replika founder raises $20M pre-seed for Wabi, the ‘YouTube of apps’

Eugenia Kuyda, founder of Replika, secured $20M in pre-seed funding for Wabi, a platform enabling users to create and share mini apps through prompts. Wabi aims to innovate consumer AI, allowing anyone, regardless of coding skills, to easily build apps. The platform integrates social features and plans to evolve with personalized onboarding, capitalizing on trends towards personalized software in a rapidly advancing tech landscape.

Key points

  • Eugenia Kuyda founded Replika in 2017 and gained 35 million users before launching Wabi.
  • Wabi secured $20M pre-seed funding from notable investors like Naval Ravikant and Garry Tan.
  • Wabi functions as a social platform where users can create mini apps by describing their desired functionalities without needing coding skills.
  • Recent beta features include social interactions like likes, commenting, and app remixing.
  • Wabi aims to help users create apps for practical purposes, enhancing discovery through a social layer.
  • Wabi differentiates itself from other no-code platforms by integrating app creation, discovery, and hosting in one environment.
  • Users must actively manage apps to avoid unmaintained versions, indicating a potential challenge in user engagement.
  • Increased funding will be directed toward expanding Wabi's product team and improving the app development experience.

Why it matters

  • The trend towards no-code platforms reflects a broader shift in how consumers engage with technology, aligning with the rise of user-driven app development seen in platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
  • Wabi aligns with emerging IT trends emphasizing personalized software and consumer empowerment in technology creation.
  • The surge in consumer AI and social media app development mirrors advancements witnessed in the tech industry from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0.

Wabi represents a pivotal shift in app creation, empowering users to build and share software easily, potentially reshaping the landscape of consumer AI and contributing to a more dynamic and personalized digital world.