Lovable’s CEO Unfazed by Vibe-Coding Rivals

The packed auditorium at Copenhagen’s Bella Center fell silent as Anton Osika stepped into the spotlight at TechBBQ. As co-founder of Lovable, the Swedish vibe-coding platform, he radiated a calm confidence that has come to define the company’s rapid ascent. In just eight months, Lovable has become one of Europe’s most talked-about tech stories, reshaping how founders and creators bring digital products to life.

Lovable allows users, especially those with no technical background, to build apps and websites through intuitive, AI-guided interactions. This approach, known as vibe-coding, has struck a chord. The platform now boasts over 2.3 million active users, with 180,000 paying subscribers. Its financial trajectory is equally stunning: $100 million in annual recurring revenue and a recent $200 million Series A round that valued the company at $1.8 billion. Rumors of a $4 billion valuation in a potential Series B have done little to shake Osika’s focus.

In a recent conversation, Osika outlined a vision far broader than code generation. He sees Lovable evolving into a full-stack environment for building AI-native companies. “If you’re running a business,” he explained, “there are many things you want to set up, payments, user analytics, even company incorporation. I want Lovable to help with all these things.” A recently launched AI agent that helps with debugging, web search, and file management marks the first step toward that ambitious roadmap.

Some critics argue that AI-generated code tends to be brittle, more suited for prototypes than production. Osika isn’t concerned. He emphasizes that all code, whether written by humans or AI, should undergo rigorous review before deployment. What sets Lovable apart, in his view, is its agnostic approach to AI models. The platform leverages multiple foundational systems, including Claude and GPT-5, rather than being tied to one. This allows Lovable to offer what he calls “unmatched capabilities” without the burden of maintaining proprietary infrastructure.

That independence may prove crucial. Both Anthropic and OpenAI offer their own coding tools, creating potential competition. But Osika believes Lovable’s model-agnostic stance and user-centric design give it a durable edge. “We’re in a better position than them,” he stated. “We can integrate the best models available while focusing entirely on the user experience.”

Lovable’s success is deeply intertwined with the European tech ecosystem, particularly in Scandinavia. Osika, who grew up in Stockholm, has kept the company rooted there despite its global reach. Its investor list reads like a who’s who of European venture capital, including Nordic Game Ventures, Hummingbird Ventures, and Greens Ventures. High-profile angels like Revolut’s Nik Storonsky and Klarna co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski have also backed the company.

The impact of Lovable’s rise extends beyond its balance sheet. Shamillah Bankiya of Dawn Capital noted that the company’s success “raises the bar for what ambitious founders across the continent can dream of and achieve.” That sentiment is echoed by founders like Dennis Green-Lieber of Propane.ai, who recently received investment from Osika. “Lovable shows that with small teams, a global mindset, and relentless effort,” Green-Lieber said, “you can build a category-defining company right here in Europe.”

While many European startups eventually migrate to the U.S., Osika has made it clear that Lovable will remain firmly planted in Europe, even as it continues to expand its presence in markets like Los Angeles. For now, the focus remains on product excellence and customer trust. “As long as we are listening to our users and giving them what they need,” Osika said, “that’s all that matters.” In a landscape crowded with AI coding tools, that philosophy may be Lovable’s most powerful feature.

(Source: TechCrunch)