companies

Softgen

AI agent (Cascade) that generates full-stack Next.js web apps from natural-language prompts; acquired by holding company Arising Ventures in early 2025.

Softgen was founded in 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, by Marko Kraemer as an AI-powered full-stack web app builder. In late 2024 Domenico Gagliardi joined as co-founder, and together they grew the bootstrapped product from roughly $20K to $500K in annual recurring revenue in about four months using a lean team of around five people. In early 2025, Softgen was acquired by Arising Ventures, a venture/holding company; the original founders subsequently moved on to a new AI venture. Kjerstin Erickson, founder and CEO of Arising Ventures, now leads Softgen, describing it as part of a portfolio aimed at building AI-driven software businesses. The product's core AI agent, Cascade, interprets user instructions, asks clarifying questions, and generates production-ready frontend and backend code, positioning Softgen as a no-code/AI app-generation tool for founders and small teams.

Founded

2023

Headquarters

Frankfurt, Germany

Sector

applications