Indian vibe-coding startup Emergent raises $70M at $300M valuation from SoftBank, Khosla Ventures

Emergent, an innovative Indian startup specializing in AI-driven "vibe-coding," has successfully raised $70 million in a Series B funding round, just months after securing $23 million in its Series A. The latest round, co-led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 and Khosla Ventures, has propelled the company's valuation to an impressive $300 million, according to sources familiar with the matter. This latest investment brings Emergent's total funding to $100 million within a mere seven months of its inception. The startup has reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $50 million and boasts over 5 million users spanning more than 190 countries. Looking ahead, Emergent aims to exceed $100 million in ARR by April 2026. Emergent's platform leverages AI agents to assist users in designing, building, testing, and deploying comprehensive web and mobile applications. The service is particularly tailored for entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking to launch products without the need for extensive engineering teams. Founder Mukund Jha emphasized the robust demand from key markets, including the U.S., Europe, and India, and noted the strong uptake of their newly introduced mobile app-building service. While the company is based in San Francisco, it has a significant presence in Bengaluru, where 70 of its 75 employees are located. Jha revealed that the startup is aggressively hiring across various functions in both regions. Emergent faces competition from other emerging platforms like Lovable, Cursor, and Replit, which have rapidly grown by enabling users to create applications with minimal programming expertise. The current funding round highlights the increasing investor interest in vibe-coding solutions, which are transforming how users engage with app development. This investment also marks a noteworthy return for SoftBank in the Indian market, following its previous backing of the Indian commerce startup ElasticRun nearly four years ago. Emergent plans to utilize the new funds to enhance its workforce, accelerate product development, and strengthen its foothold in critical markets.