GitLab Ex-CEO Launches App Builder That Generates Functional Apps in Minutes, Takes on $500M+ Funded Rivals with Just $8M
Summary
GitLab's former CEO Sid Sijbrandij launches Kilo Code's App Builder, a revolutionary tool that generates functional apps in minutes with usage-based pricing, challenging heavily-funded competitors like Lovable despite having only $8 million in seed funding versus their $500+ million war chest.
Key Points
- Kilo Code launches App Builder, a new vibe-coding tool that generates functional apps in minutes and allows users to build directly on top of the generated code without starting over
- The startup, cofounded by GitLab's former CEO Sid Sijbrandij, competes against better-funded rivals like Lovable, Cursor, and Bolt with only $8 million in seed funding versus Lovable's $500+ million
- Kilo differentiates itself through usage-based pricing that only charges for underlying model costs, avoiding monthly token limits that force users to switch between competing platforms