Repeat Y Combinator founders raise $2.2 million to fix vibe coding's pricing problem. Read their pitch deck.

OpenBuilder, a startup focused on vibe coding, aims to challenge market leaders like Lovable and Replit by addressing what it sees as flawed pricing strategies that hinder non-technical users. The company, which was part of Y Combinator's Fall 2025 cohort, has successfully raised $2.2 million in seed funding from notable investors including Focal, Founder Factor, and Pascal Capital. According to cofounder and CEO Paul Li, vibe coding is changing the software development landscape, but issues such as bugs can leave projects incomplete and escalate costs for users. Instead of relying on a credit-based pricing model, OpenBuilder offers a fixed subscription that allows unlimited access, along with an option for human developer support as needed. The platform is built on open-source coding frameworks from Z.ai and the Chinese startup DeepSeek, which not only keep costs low but also enhance user flexibility. Li believes that as AI expenses decrease, traditional pay-per-use models will become increasingly impractical. "Our bet is that over time, users will become more informed about the market, leading to a shift towards fixed pricing models," he stated. With a small team of three employees and four contractors to assist with developer support, OpenBuilder plans to allocate its newfound funds towards hiring and marketing efforts. Li and cofounder James Jiang previously founded a virtual reality gaming company, Mirage VR, after dropping out of the University of Waterloo. In 2023, they shifted their focus to a coding assistant named EasyCode, which gained significant traction with around 1.5 million installs. During their time with Y Combinator, they chose not to secure funding for EasyCode due to its rapid growth, a decision Li now wishes he had reconsidered amid rising competition. OpenBuilder primarily aims to support non-technical users, including hobbyists and entrepreneurs, particularly small businesses looking for cost-effective software solutions. The company has also made its pitch deck available for public viewing, albeit with some slides redacted.