Wix.com Ltd. has acquired Base44, a six-month-old AI startup founded by Maor Shlomo, for $80 million in cash. Built without external funding, Base44 offers a natural language platform that lets users create full-stack applications in minutes. With 250,000 users and early profitability, the Wix Base44 acquisition underscores Wix’s shift toward AI-native development and highlights how lean, founder-led ventures are reshaping software infrastructure by combining speed, scalability, and innovation in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape.
Flash Growth and Profit: From Solo Founder to $80M Exit
The Economic Times reports that Wix has acquired Base44, an emerging no-code startup, for $80 million in cash. The acquisition, confirmed by Wix, highlights the strategic value of AI-enabled development tools and marks a significant milestone for Base44, which was founded less than a year ago by Israeli programmer Shlomo.
Though Base44 didn’t reach “solo unicorn” status, its rise was remarkable. Founder Shlomo, former CEO of Explorium, began it as a side project after reserve duty in late 2024. Within months, it transformed into a high-growth startup.
Just months after launch, Base44 attracted over 250,000 users and became profitable, earning $189,000 in May despite steep LLM costs. Remarkably, Shlomo built and scaled the company without outside funding, remaining its sole owner at the time of acquisition.
Base44 quickly gained traction, securing partnerships with Israeli tech giants like eToro and Similarweb. Its AI-powered platform, part of the rising “vibe coding” trend, lets users build complete applications using plain language, removing the need for traditional coding.
Strategic Synergy: Why Wix and Base44 Fit Together
Base44’s intuitive interface, which handles backend tasks like authentication, data storage, analytics, messaging, and maps, quickly gained traction, especially in the U.S., which accounts for nearly half its user base. Much of this growth stemmed from founder Shlomo’s transparent updates on LinkedIn and X, where he openly chronicled the startup’s journey.
Although often called a “solo founder,” Shlomo led an eight-person team set to receive $25 million in retention bonuses. For Wix, the acquisition aligns with its no-code strategy, adding Base44’s AI-powered app-building tools to enhance its platform with conversational development features.
Wix has been expanding its AI offerings with tools like Wixel and Astro. The Base44 acquisition will strengthen its portfolio, while the startup retains its brand and roadmap. Now part of Wix, Shlomo confirmed continued product development with enhanced support and speed. He said in a statement that,
I honestly can’t think of a better fit. Wix is probably the only company that can help Base44 achieve the scale and distribution it needs while maintaining, if not accelerating, our product velocity.
A Blueprint for the AI-Driven Future of Software
Reflecting on the journey, Shlomo described the Wix Base44 acquisition as both a strategic leap and a necessary evolution. The deal was finalized amid geopolitical tensions in the region, adding another layer of complexity to an already fast-paced process. Shlomo revealed that,
The lawyers finalized all the details of the purchase agreement on Thursday night, and the signing was scheduled for Friday morning, just as the war with Iran began.
Looking ahead, Shlomo sees the potential for Base44 to transform enterprise software by empowering users to create tools tailored to their specific needs. He said,
It’s true that I started the company as a kind of side project, but if we can achieve what we’ve set out to do, every person and organization will be able to build the software they need to solve their specific pain points. It could be anything from a project management tool to a customer relationship management system.
Conclusion
The acquisition highlights a broader shift from code-heavy development to AI-driven, user-friendly tools that make software creation more accessible. Base44’s journey shows how small teams with the right tech and vision can build impactful products. Together, Wix and Base44 are set to shape the next chapter of no-code, conversational app development.
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