Chamath Palihapitiya’s 8090 Labs raises $135 million for AI coding platform

8090 Labs landed a $135 million Series A led by Salesforce Ventures, a large early-stage bet in a market still pouring capital into AI coding tools. Founded in January 2024 by Chamath Palihapitiya, the startup is pitching Software Factory as an AI coding platform for corporate programming teams and regulated enterprises, built around audit trails, visibility, control and consistency.

The investor roster shows how crowded and competitive that story has become. WndrCo, Craft Ventures, The Production Board and Launch joined the round, along with angel investors Nikesh Arora, the chief executive of Palo Alto Networks, and Adam D’Angelo, the chief executive of Quora. For a company barely a year and a half old, the financing gives 8090 Labs the kind of capital usually reserved for firms that have already proved a product can move from a convincing demo to a repeatable business.

That is what makes the raise stand out. Many AI coding startups are still trying to turn developer excitement into enterprise budgets, but 8090 Labs is already selling a broader pitch: an AI-native software development platform and control plane that keeps business leaders in the driver’s seat. The company says Software Factory is designed to bring teams and AI agents into a single system so they can build production-quality software, not just quick prototypes.

Palihapitiya’s role adds another layer to the financing. He said he will serve as chief executive of the startup, shifting from backer to operating leader, and said he had been waiting to return to a full-time operating role. His profile matters in a venture market that still rewards founders who can combine technical ambition, salesmanship and a recognizable public name. Few early-stage AI coding companies can pair a $135 million round with a founder who already has a long record as an investor and operator.

Salesforce Ventures is a fitting lead investor for that plan. The firm says it backs enterprise technology founders with patient capital, community and access to resources, which lines up with 8090 Labs’ target market of regulated enterprises that care as much about governance as speed. That emphasis suggests investors are willing to pay up for AI coding startups when the product is framed less as a toy for engineers and more as infrastructure for large companies that need full auditability from business intent to deployment.

The size of the round, the short time since founding and the mix of high-profile backers point to the same conclusion: in AI coding, investor exuberance is still alive, but the most expensive checks now flow to startups promising enterprise control, not just faster code.