Emergent, the AI startup redefining who can build software, announced $23 million in Series A funding to expand access to its agentic vibe coding platform, which enables anyone to create production-ready applications without technical skills. The round was led by Lightspeed, with participation from YC, Together, Prosus, and prominent AI investors including Jeff Dean, Devendra Chaplot, Siqi Chen, Srinivasan Venkatachary, Prasanna, Edo Liberty, and Balaji Srinivasan, bringing Emergent’s total funding to $30 million.
Emergent’s platform leverages autonomous AI agents to handle the entire app-building process—from front-end design to backend infrastructure, including servers, logins, payments, and scaling—essentially giving users a cloud-based development team. This approach removes traditional barriers to software creation, allowing small business owners, creators, and aspiring entrepreneurs to launch applications with minimal time and cost.
“My brother and I built Emergent to equip anyone with an idea and a phone to create software affordably,” said Mukund Jha, co-founder and CEO. “Emergent addresses the technical friction of starting or growing a business. Now, anyone from small business owners and aspiring founders to creators can bring their vision to life, no matter how complex, at a fraction of the time and cost. As the only vibe coding platform that enables users to build highly customizable, production-ready apps, our platform unlocks new possibilities for everyone—not just software engineers.”
Also Read: FICO Launches Domain-Specific GenAI Models to Strengthen Trust and Accuracy in Financial Services
Emergent is already showing rapid traction: in just 90 days, it achieved $15 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), making it one of the fastest-growing AI startups globally. More than one million users have built over 1.5 million apps, including:
-
A Michigan jewelry store owner creating a pricing app now sold to other stores.
-
A business managing wheelchair inventory through an app replacing spreadsheets.
-
An individual with chronic pain building a personalized health management tool.
-
An aspiring UK entrepreneur launching an EV marketplace app.
“Remember when photography demanded deep technical knowledge, then the iPhone simplified it for billions? Emergent collapses the complexity of software into a single button anyone can press to ship, scale, and earn,” said Hemant Mohapatra, Partner at Lightspeed.
By turning domain expertise into software without requiring coding, Emergent empowers side hustles, small businesses, and solo founders to innovate, automate workflows, and monetize ideas—effectively democratizing software creation for the masses.