They started
with a single app.
Some started in a dorm room. Others couldn't code. All of them began with an idea and a phone.
Founders
#1
Anton Osika
Lovable · fin 2024
~$400M ARR
European record
Dev / SaaS#1
Anton Osika
Lovable
~$400M ARR
European record
DownloadsDes millions de projets générés
Launchedfin 2024
Started from
Swedish engineer (ex-CERN)
#2
Amjad Masad
Replit · 2016
~$300M ARR
Replit
Dev / SaaS#2
Amjad Masad
Replit
~$300M ARR
Replit
Downloads40M+ utilisateurs, 150K+ clients payants
Launched2016
Started from
Immigrant from Jordan, ex-Facebook
#3
Matthieu Rouif
PhotoRoom · 2019
~€50M ARR
Profitable (FR)
Creation#3
Matthieu Rouif
PhotoRoom
~€50M ARR
Profitable (FR)
Downloads150M+ téléchargements
Launched2019
Started from
French engineer (ex-GoPro/Apple)
#4
Zach Yadegari
Cal AI · mai 2024
$40M/yr
Sold to MyFitnessPal
Health#4
Zach Yadegari
Cal AI
$40M/yr
Sold to MyFitnessPal
Downloads15M+
Launchedmai 2024
Started from
High schooler, coding for 7 years
#5
Eric Simons
Bolt.new (StackBlitz) · oct. 2024
~$40M ARR
0 → 20M in 2 months
Dev / SaaS#5
Eric Simons
Bolt.new (StackBlitz)
~$40M ARR
0 → 20M in 2 months
Downloads3M+ inscrits, ~1M MAU
Launchedoct. 2024
Started from
Entrepreneur since his teens, 7 years of R&D
#6
Greg Isenberg
Late Checkout · 2020
~$10M/yr
Late Checkout (estimated)
Community#6
Greg Isenberg
Late Checkout
~$10M/yr
Late Checkout (estimated)
DownloadsNewsletter 158K+ abonnés
Launched2020
Started from
Serial founder, 'the community guy'
#7
Julie Chapon
Yuka · 2017
~$7M/yr
73M users, no ads
Health#7
Julie Chapon
Yuka
~$7M/yr
73M users, no ads
Downloads73M utilisateurs (2025)
Launched2017
Started from
Ex-consultant in search of meaning
#8
Blake Anderson
RizzGPT / Umax / Cal AI / Apex · 2023
~$10M
Portfolio (cumulative)
AI#8
Blake Anderson
RizzGPT / Umax / Cal AI / Apex
~$10M
Portfolio (cumulative)
DownloadsPlusieurs M (cumulé)
Launched2023
Started from
Student, couldn't code (~$200)
#9
Roy Lee
Cluely · 2025
~$5M ARR
Cluely (corrected figure)
AI#9
Roy Lee
Cluely
~$5M ARR
Cluely (corrected figure)
DownloadsN/A
Launched2025
Started from
Columbia student, suspended
#10
Danny Postma
HeadshotPro · mars 2023
~$300K/mo
HeadshotPro (~$3.6M ARR)
AI#10
Danny Postma
HeadshotPro
~$300K/mo
HeadshotPro (~$3.6M ARR)
Downloads17M+ headshots générés
Launchedmars 2023
Started from
Ex-web marketer, nomad in Bali
#11
Maor Shlomo
Base44 · janv. 2025
Exit ~$80M
Solo, in 6 months
Dev / SaaS#11
Maor Shlomo
Base44
Exit ~$80M
Solo, in 6 months
Downloads250–400K utilisateurs avant le rachat
Launchedjanv. 2025
Started from
Serial entrepreneur, as a side project
#12
Pieter Levels
PhotoAI / Nomad List / Remote OK · 2014
~$3M/yr
Solo, 40+ products
AI#12
Pieter Levels
PhotoAI / Nomad List / Remote OK
~$3M/yr
Solo, 40+ products
Downloads~600K abonnés sur X
Launched2014
Started from
Techno producer → self-taught dev
Blake Anderson couldn't code. He had $200.
He built AI apps making $3.9M a month.
Your turn.
“The best time to launch your app was yesterday. The second best time is today.”