Woz, a San Francisco–based artificial intelligence company, announced it has raised $6 million in seed funding to expand its AI-driven app development platform designed to build production-ready, enterprise-grade software. The funding round was led by Cervin Ventures, with participation from Burst Capital, Y Combinator, Untapped Ventures, MGV, and the Lacob Family, co-owners of the Golden State Warriors.
Unlike many vibe-coding tools that rely solely on AI to generate prototype-level applications, Woz’s platform combines AI with expert human oversight, creating a hybrid system that prioritizes quality, scalability, and security. The company positions itself as an “AI App Factory,” capable of delivering polished, production-ready mobile apps with the rigor and reliability expected from the world’s top technology companies.
The Woz approach is centered on collaboration between AI agents and human engineers. The platform uses manufacturing-inspired processes, dividing software creation into specialized steps where each AI agent performs a distinct function. Human experts intervene whenever AI encounters limitations, ensuring every application undergoes a comprehensive quality assurance process before release. This system produces clean, structured, and maintainable codebases—far from the “spaghetti code” often generated by other AI builders.
According to Woz, this model allows the company to produce thousands of high-quality applications in parallel, democratizing access to top-tier engineering for entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized businesses, and large non-technical enterprises alike. The company believes its AI-assisted model represents the next evolution in software production—one that transforms how products are built, from startups to global corporations.
“Woz can be replicated across many product categories and specialized for many verticals,” explained Co-Founder and CEO Ben Collins, who envisions expanding the platform beyond mobile apps to include web, TV, IoT, AR/VR, and even regulated sectors such as healthcare and insurance.
The rise of Woz comes amid waning enthusiasm for traditional AI app builders. Many of these tools, while capable of quickly producing basic applications, have failed to deliver reliable, production-ready code suitable for business use. A recent Barclays analysis found that several popular platforms—such as Lovable, Bolt.new, and Vercel’s v0—have seen traffic declines of 40%, 27%, and 64%, respectively, since mid-2025.
Woz’s human-in-the-loop approach offers a sharp contrast, aiming to eliminate the quality and security risks that have plagued competitors. Kirk Lacob, Executive Vice President of the Golden State Warriors and investor in Woz, underscored the importance of this model for enterprises that cannot afford reliability gaps, noting that “many organizations don’t have robust engineering teams” but still need elite-level software solutions.
How the funding will be used: The new funding will enable Woz to expand its engineering and product teams, deepen platform capabilities, and meet growing demand from businesses seeking scalable, AI-assisted development tools.
KEY QUOTES:
“Woz can be replicated across many product categories and specialized for many verticals. Today, we’re building mobile apps. Tomorrow it will be web apps, TV apps, IoT software, and AR/VR, as well as specialized software for regulated sectors like healthcare and insurance. It’s a new approach to product building similar to an ‘AI App Factory’. Just as the physical factory powered the industrial revolution, Woz unlocks the next great leap in how the world builds.”
— Ben Collins, Co-Founder and CEO, Woz
“Global brands can’t compromise on quality. Like in sports, many of these organizations don’t have robust engineering teams. By combining access to expert product building with AI, Woz unlocks enormous value.”
— Kirk Lacob, Executive Vice President, Golden State Warriors, and Woz Investor
“Vibe-coding tools are great for quickly testing ideas, but moving toward sustainable, production-ready applications requires technical expertise that is not easy to find.”
— Injil Muhammad, CEO and Co-Founder, Buddle
“It’s clear that vibe-coding is not the end game. The real breakthrough comes when AI-generated apps produce scalable, secure code that serves as the foundation for lasting businesses. Woz’s approach uniquely positions them to lead this shift.”
— Taylor Oliver, Partner, Cervin Ventures, and Woz Board Member
