Chamath Palihapitiya's AI Coding Startup Raises $135M Series A

Chamath Palihapitiya, best known for his venture capital firm Social Capital and the All-In podcast, announced Monday that his AI coding startup, 8090 Labs, raised a $135 million Series A round. The company closed the round led by Salesforce Ventures with participation from Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, David Sacks’ Craft Ventures, fellow All-In hosts and “besties” David Friedberg’s The Production Board and Jason Calacanis’ Launch, as well angel investors like Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo. Palihapitiya founded 8090 Labs in January 2024 to offer an AI coding agent specifically for corporate programming teams.

Its product, Software Factory, helps corporate coders use AI to build production-quality software, not just vibe-coded prototypes, with all the controls enterprises need, such as audit trails, the company promises. With the raise, Palihapitiya also announced on X that he will lead the startup as CEO, rather than just serving as a board member. He said the AI rush today feels like the rise of social media in his career as an early exec at Facebook, long before it became Meta.

“Since I left Facebook, I was waiting for a moment like this to return to a full-time operating role,” he wrote. “I am convinced that what we are building now is even more important, so there was no decision to make except to be all in.” The substantial funding and high-profile backing for 8090 Labs underscore the growing demand for AI-powered coding solutions. As the software development industry increasingly adopts AI tools, 8090 Labs' focus on enterprise-grade solutions positions it well for success.

Palihapitiya's hands-on approach as CEO, driven by his own experiences and convictions, will likely influence the company's trajectory. With this investment, the stakes are raised for competitors in the AI coding space, and the pressure is on for 8090 Labs to deliver on its ambitious promises. The company's ability to balance innovation with practical, enterprise-ready solutions will be crucial to its long-term impact on the software development ecosystem.