A bootstrapped AI app builder reported $189,000 profit in one month, then sold to Wix for $80 million
Maor Shlomo built Base44, a tool that turns text prompts into working apps, and sold it six months after starting it.
Subject: Base44 (Maor Shlomo)Subscription platform that builds full apps from plain-language prompts
Case Overview & Background
Israeli developer Maor Shlomo built Base44 without outside funding. TechCrunch reported that in about six months it reached 250,000 users and was profitable, with $189,000 in profit in May 2025 after paying large AI model costs, according to his own posts. In June 2025 Wix bought it for $80 million in cash, with $25 million of that set aside as a retention bonus for the team.
How AI Is Used
Step-by-Step Process
He built a platform where plain text becomes a full working application.
He shared progress, user numbers and costs on X and LinkedIn.
He reported profit even after paying high model token costs.
He sold to Wix because, he wrote, the scale needed was hard to reach organically.
Customer Acquisition & Distribution
Limitations, Risks & Failure Modes
What may not apply to you, and what could go wrong:
- The profit figure is the founder's own, not audited by TechCrunch
- Model costs are high and can erase margins
- The AI app-builder market is crowded with large, funded competitors
- This needed deep technical skill and is not a typical side hustle outcome
Key Takeaways
- Publishing real numbers in public helped attract users and buyers
- AI model costs belong in the pricing math from day one
- A small, profitable product can be worth a lot to a larger company
Sources
TechCrunch: 6-month-old, solo-owned vibe coder Base44 sells to Wix for $80M cash
Note: Reports the $80 million cash sale announced by Wix, 250,000 users, eight employees, and the founder-posted $189,000 May profit.
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