TechCrunch Startup News Replika founder raises $20M pre-seed for Wabi, the ‘YouTube of apps’
Nov 6, 2025
The founder of Replika has raised an impressive $20 million for Wabi, a platform poised to be the 'YouTube for apps.' Users can effortlessly create and share mini apps using prompts, cutting out the need for coding. Wabi's unique approach encourages social interaction through app liking, commenting, and remixing. The tech landscape is buzzing with comparisons to other no-code AI tools, and there's excitement about how effortless app creation could reshape user engagement. However, the platform also faces challenges in app maintenance and content quality.
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Personalized Apps As Consumer Shift
- Wabi aims to make personalized software creation accessible to everyone through prompts and social sharing.
- This signals a shift where tailored mini-apps become a common consumer experience.
Founder Track Record And New Launch
- Eugenia Kaida founded Replika in 2017 and grew it to 35 million users before launching Wabi.
- She now positions Wabi as a 'YouTube for apps' where anyone can create and share mini-apps.
Integrated Platform Removes Friction
- Wabi differentiates by combining creation, discovery, and hosting into one platform with no separate app store.
- That integrated stack reduces friction for non-technical users to publish and share apps.