Wix-Owned Base44 Launches Proprietary Large Language Model to Boost Growth

Since Wix acquired Base44 a year ago, the company has become Wix's main growth engine, reaching an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of approximately $150 million by May, up from just a few million at acquisition. Base44 specializes in Vibe Coding, enabling users to create digital content using natural language without coding skills. The company recently announced a strategic technological advancement: the launch of its own large language model (LLM). This development aims to reduce reliance on third-party AI providers and cut costs for both Base44 and its users.

Maor Shlomo, Base44's founder and CEO, told Globes that the company’s significant user traffic and data allow it to train its own models, optimizing quality, speed, effectiveness, and price. The new model competes with existing ones like Claude, ChatGPT, and Google’s models, with potential to surpass them as training continues. Previously, Base44 depended on these general-purpose models, but Shlomo emphasized the advantage of a specialized model tailored to non-technical users building web and mobile apps.

The move also responds to recent U.S. government restrictions blocking foreign access to Anthropic’s AI model, highlighting the strategic importance of controlling their own AI technology. Shlomo noted that Base44 started developing its model months ago, anticipating such challenges. He described the effort as a multi-year strategic initiative to maintain full platform control, a rare capability among Israeli companies.

Looking ahead, Base44 hopes the model will not only assist in code implementation but also help users make product decisions by analyzing successful app traffic patterns and suggesting optimal design and features. Wix, led by Avishai Abrahami and currently valued at about $1.8 billion after a 72% stock drop in the past year, views Base44 as key to addressing AI-related challenges. Recently, Wix announced layoffs of roughly 20% of its workforce (about 1,000 employees) to become leaner and more agile amid currency pressures and market shifts.