The Story of Crowdbotics: Building the Future of AI-Powered Software Development

Seven years ago, while most companies were still debating the potential of AI, Anand Kulkarni was already seeing something transformative in the early research around large language models. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, he revealed how this early insight led to the creation of Crowdbotics, a company that’s now reshaping how enterprises build software.

“We were one of the first commercial users of chat, GPT, excuse me, of GPT-3, on their API,” Anand explains. “And we actually started the company Crowdbotics based on what I was seeing happening in the early research space around large language models.”

What Anand saw in 2016-2017 were systems that looked like they could generate code or code-like structures. “When I saw this in 2017, 2016, I said, look, this is probably the future, and we got to go out and get ahead of this.”

But being early meant facing skepticism. “Were working on the same technology in the market two years ago, and people just didn’t believe us,” Anand recalls. “We showed them technology showing that you could use artificial intelligence to plan software, use AI to write code. People said, yeah, well, okay, but can you really?”

Instead of trying to convince skeptics, Crowdbotics focused on delivering immediate value. Their approach was modular rather than focusing solely on AI-generated code. “We are snapping together, recommending, selecting big building blocks of code into functional software,” Anand explains. This practical approach resonated with customers who needed solutions rather than promises.

The breakthrough came from an unexpected direction – regulated industries. While many startups avoided the complexities of working with government and heavily regulated sectors, Crowdbotics found their approach particularly well-suited to these customers’ needs. Their emphasis on code visibility and verification addressed crucial security and compliance concerns.

This focus has driven remarkable growth. “For the last three years, we have doubled or tripled top line revenue every year. So 200% to 300% growth,” Anand shares. Much of this growth has come from large customers building mission-critical systems, from instrumented hardware to large-scale e-commerce platforms.

What sets Crowdbotics apart in today’s AI-saturated market is their comprehensive approach. While others rush to build simple wrappers around large language models, Crowdbotics is focused on creating systemic value. “To generate durable value here, you’ve got to have an approach that actually creates systemic value for the customer by doing something that is more than just what those tools are doing,” Anand emphasizes.

Looking ahead, Crowdbotics is positioning itself at the forefront of a movement they call “code operations.” This approach aims to transform how organizations think about and create software, shifting the entire discussion “left” in the development process.

“Crowdbotics is a new way to create software,” Anand explains, laying out their vision. “We are looking to challenge how people have historically built. Codeops is a movement that is taking the world by storms. People are realizing there are better ways to build software.”

The ultimate goal? “We are looking to create the next billion applications. Mission critical, meaningful, large scale applications on Crowdbotics,” Anand declares. It’s an ambitious vision, but one that’s already showing results as more organizations recognize the need to transform how they build and maintain software in an AI-driven world.