Eugenia Kuyda Raises $20M for Wabi, a Social Platform Revolutionizing App Creation

Eugenia Kuyda, the founder of Replika, a popular AI companion startup, has raised $20 million in pre-seed funding for her new venture, Wabi, a social platform described as the "YouTube of apps." Wabi allows users to create mini apps and share them with friends using prompts, marking a new shift in consumer AI where personalized software becomes the norm. The funding was led by a group of prominent angels, including AngelList co-founder Naval Ravikant, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, Twitch co-founder Justin Kan, and Notion co-founder Akshay Kothari. Wabi, which launched in beta last month, has garnered significant attention in the tech industry, with many experts hailing Kuyda as a pioneer in predicting consumer demand for AI-powered products. "Kuyda was early and right to AI companions, even though it wasn't obvious at the time," said Anish Acharya, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. "It's very rare to find someone who's got a track record for predicting what consumers will want, and we think she's doing it again." Kuyda's previous startup, Replika, has gained a massive following of 35 million users since its launch in 2017, years before the rise of ChatGPT. The platform allowed users to create and interact with AI companions, marking a significant milestone in the development of consumer AI. With Wabi, Kuyda is taking a similar approach, but this time focusing on creating a social platform where users can share and interact with mini apps. The funding for Wabi comes at a time when the tech industry is witnessing a surge in interest in AI-powered products, particularly in the realm of coding and app development. Vibe coding tools like Cursor and Lovable have attracted significant attention in recent months, and Wabi is poised to capitalize on this trend. "We're excited to see Wabi bring a new level of creativity and collaboration to the world of app development," said Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, a coding platform that has partnered with Wabi. Wabi's social platform allows users to create mini apps using prompts, which can be shared with friends and other users. The platform uses AI to generate the apps, making it easy for users to create and share content without requiring extensive coding knowledge. The platform's potential to democratize app development and make it more accessible to a wider audience has drawn praise from industry experts. As Wabi continues to grow and develop, it is likely to have a significant impact on the tech industry, particularly in the realm of consumer AI. With its focus on social interaction and creativity, Wabi has the potential to become a major player in the world of app development and beyond.