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Ex-Googlers shut $2 million-a-year startup after ChatGPT launch. Their new AI firm is now valued at $100 million
Ex-Googlers shut a profitable $2 million-a-year startup to rebuild around AI. Their new company is now valued at $100 million after fresh funding.
Two former Google employees shut down a profitable startup making over $2 million a year to rebuild around artificial intelligence. Today, their new company is valued at $100 million.
Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe, both 33, are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Anything, an AI “vibe-coding” startup valued at around $100 million after an $11 million funding round, according to a report by CNBC Make It. Their startup was originally known as Create, a marketplace connecting startups to freelance engineers, supported by AI tools to build apps and websites.
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Why did the duo shut down their startup?
Create was profitable “from Day 1,” Amin told the outlet. However, after the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, everything changed. Amin said that the product marked a surprise leap in AI capability and made them question whether human software developers would be necessary in the future.
By early 2023, the founders concluded that advances in generative AI could eventually automate much of coding. That possibility directly threatened Create’s model, which relied on pairing clients with developers.
Then, after months of deliberation, in October 2023, they shuttered the marketplace, laid off half of their 7-member team and cut ties with freelance developers. “Within two weeks, we were back to an empty office,” Amin recalled.
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How did they rebuild from scratch?
The pair then began rebuilding. They first launched an AI-powered tool capable of generating app components such as forms and calendars. In April 2025, they introduced a product that could build entire online businesses, including backend systems and payments, without users needing coding experience. Alongside the launch, they rebranded to Anything.
“That was actually the moment where it felt like it really took off,” Amin said. Then, within two weeks, the company touched a $2 million annualised revenue run rate, he added.
Amin said that the AI coding industry is “extremely early” in its development, with mixed reactions to vibe-coding platforms. However, he said that non-technical users have already built real-world applications on Anything, from AI hairstylist apps to oral health trackers.
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‘Useful founding story’
Looking back, Amin said that the decision to “go back to zero” was among the hardest of his career, but he believes timing mattered.
“It’s a useful founding story now: This company will stick through it, even if the technology shifts, even if the business model shifts. At the time, it was hard. Now, I can say with some pride: You don’t have to just take my word that we’re serious about what we’re trying to do here. We’ve painted it in blood, sweat and tears,” Amin said.
“I hope our hardcore pivots are behind us, at this point. Now, I think we’re just more in the [mindset]: Let’s execute, let’s take advantage of opportunity, and let’s really grow it,” he added.
