rocket.new, one of india’s first vibe-coding startups, snags $15m from accel, salesforce ventures

Rocket.new Secures $15 Million Seed Funding for AI-Powered App Development

Rocket.new, an Indian startup focused on AI-driven application development, has successfully raised $15 million in a seed funding round. The investment was spearheaded by Salesforce Ventures, positioning the company to compete with other emerging "vibe-coding" platforms like Lovable, Cursor, and Bolt.

Platform Capabilities and Differentiation

Unlike competitors primarily focused on rapid prototyping, Rocket.new enables users to construct complete, production-ready applications directly from natural language instructions. This approach aims to streamline the entire app development lifecycle.

The seed round also included participation from Accel and Together Fund, occurring just three months after the platform’s initial beta launch in June. This demonstrates strong investor confidence in the company’s vision.

Rapid User Growth and Revenue

Since its launch, Rocket.new has experienced significant user adoption, surpassing 400,000 users across 180 countries. Furthermore, the platform has secured over 10,000 paid subscribers.

The startup has already achieved $4.5 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and is projecting substantial growth. Co-founder and CEO Vishal Virani anticipates scaling ARR to $20-$25 million by the end of the year and $60-$70 million by June of the following year.

Origins and Evolution

Rocket.new was founded in Surat, India – a city known for its diamond and textile industries, but not traditionally a tech hub – by Vishal Virani, Rahul Shingala, and Deepak Dhanak.

The company represents a strategic shift from their previous venture, DhiWise, which concentrated on optimizing developer workflows.

A Comprehensive Agentic System

Virani emphasizes that Rocket.new is developing a “vibe solution platform” that addresses not only initial app creation but also the ongoing challenges of maintenance and scaling.

The long-term goal is to establish a fully integrated agentic system leveraging AI for tasks beyond code generation, including competitive analysis and product development, potentially reducing the need for dedicated product managers.

Current Performance and User Base

The current version of the platform, designated 0.3, has already facilitated the creation of half a million applications. Its user base includes product managers, independent developers, and front-end engineers.

Notably, Rocket.new also serves users from prominent companies such as Meta, PayPal, KPMG, PwC, and Times Internet, primarily for personal projects.

Application Types Built on the Platform

Approximately 80% of applications created on Rocket.new are considered “serious” applications, extending beyond simple landing pages or branding websites.

• Around 12% are e-commerce platforms, focusing on sectors like grocery and apparel.
• 10% are dedicated to fintech applications.
• 5-6% are B2B tools.
• 4-5% are focused on mental health applications.

Mobile vs. Web Development

Currently, 45% of users are building mobile applications, while 55% are developing websites. Many users integrate Rocket.new with existing Supabase backends after initially building a website on platforms like Lovable or Replit.

Underlying Technology

Rocket.new’s technology stack integrates large language models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google’s Gemini. These are combined with the company’s proprietary deep learning systems, trained on datasets originating from their previous venture, DhiWise.

Virani asserts that the platform’s architecture is fundamentally distinct from those of competitors like Lovable and Bolt.

Performance and Pricing

While generating an initial application takes approximately 25 minutes – slower than some other vibe-coding tools – Rocket.new delivers a more comprehensive user experience with all essential modules included.

The platform offers a free trial limited to one million tokens. Paid subscriptions begin at $25 per month for five million tokens. This pricing structure is designed to discourage casual use and maintain a healthy gross margin.

Market Focus and Expansion

The United States currently represents Rocket.new’s largest market, contributing 26% of revenue. Europe accounts for 15-20%, and India contributes 10%.

To better serve its U.S. customer base, the startup is establishing a U.S. headquarters in Palo Alto.

Future Plans

Rocket.new’s initial growth has been largely organic, driven by word-of-mouth and social media. The new funding will be used to refine its go-to-market strategy, expand its presence in key markets, and accelerate research and development of proprietary models.

Kartik Gupta, an investor at Salesforce Ventures, highlighted the gap between AI code generation and the practicalities of production deployment, stating that Rocket.new is specifically designed to address these challenges at an enterprise level.

Rocket.new currently employs 58 people, primarily in Surat, and plans to double its engineering and product teams in India over the next year to support its continued expansion.