Wix-Owned Base44 Unveils Its Own AI Model to Improve App Creation and Reduce Dependence on External LLMs
Key Points
Base44 launched its first proprietary AI model, Base 1, now serving live production users.
Wix acquired Base44 for approximately $80 million in June 2025 at an $80M valuation.
Base44's revenue grew from $3 million to $150 million within a year post-acquisition.
Base44 has surpassed 2 million users with a $100 million annual recurring revenue run rate.
Base44 has become the first app-creation platform to deploy its own large language model in production. The Wix-owned company announced its proprietary model, Base 1, on June 29, 2026, now actively serving users on the platform.
Until now, Base44 relied on foundation models from OpenAI and Anthropic to power its natural-language app-building experience. Wix acquired Base44 in June 2025 for approximately $80 million, and the platform has since grown into one of the fastest-scaling AI app builders.
What Base 1 Actually Is
A Fine-Tune, Not a From-Scratch Model
Base44 CEO Maor Shlomo confirmed Base 1 is a fine-tune built on an existing open-source foundation model, not trained from scratch. Shlomo explained that building a true frontier model requires several billion dollars in investment.
The custom LLM was developed using Base44’s dataset generated from tens of millions of real user interactions on the platform. That training data gives Base 1 specialized signals tied directly to app-building tasks.
- Model name: Base 1
- Training data source: Tens of millions of real user interactions on the platform
- Base architecture: Built on an existing open-source foundation model
- Development partner: Wix’s machine learning team, which previously built Wix Harmony
Why Base44 Built Its Own Model
Base44’s decision stemmed from multiple factors, with cost reduction likely among the key benefits. Shlomo said the goal is a model faster and cheaper than frontier models like Opus.
In a press release, Base44 explained that owning the model gives it direct control over compute and inference spend, expected to strengthen margins over time. That cost control is becoming critical industry-wide.
- Base44 user base: Over 2 million users as of Q1 2026
- ARR run rate (May 2026): $150 million, up from $50 million in November 2025
- Revenue growth post-acquisition: $3 million to $150 million within roughly a year
- North America ranking: Now the largest AI-powered application creation platform in the region
Competitive Pressure From Frontier AI Labs
Base44 faces growing competition not just from vibe-coding rivals, but from frontier AI labs moving into app creation, including Cursor, xAI, and Claude Code. Anthropic and other foundational providers now gain data and feedback loops from app-building use cases too.
Rival platform Lovable, a Swedish startup, has reached roughly half a billion dollars in ARR, underscoring intense competitive pressure in the vibe-coding market. Other competitors, including Replit and Bolt, have not yet deployed proprietary models in production.
Final Thoughts
Base44’s Base 1 launch marks a structural shift for AI app-creation platforms. By owning its model stack, Base44 aims to cut costs while sharpening accuracy for app-building tasks specifically. With $100 million in ARR achieved within roughly a year of the Wix acquisition, the bet on specialization looks well-timed. Whether Base 1 can hold its edge against frontier labs entering the same space remains the next test.
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
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