Tessl, a software development platform reimagining the creation and maintenance of software with AI, announced $125 million in funding. The financing includes a $25 million seed round led by boldstart and GV in April, followed by a $100 million Series A led by Index Ventures with participation from Accel. The funds will fuel the development of Tessl’s AI-driven platform and its mission to revolutionize software creation.

Tessl aims to redefine software development by shifting from a code-centric to a specification-centric (“spec-centric”) approach. The company highlighted how traditional software development couples the “what” and “how” of an application within code, leading to inefficiencies and high maintenance costs. By leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs), Tessl’s platform allows developers to define software requirements in natural language, while AI handles the implementation.

The concept of AI Native Software Development underpins Tessl’s approach. Developers provide structured specifications, and AI generates, implements, and maintains the software. This methodology aims to make software creation faster, more accessible, and adaptable across environments, such as different programming languages and platforms.

Tessl envisions its platform enabling continuous maintenance and optimization of applications. Through AI-powered workflows, tasks such as dependency updates, security fixes, and compliance tests can be autonomously executed. The system will also dynamically adapt software to changing requirements, optimizing performance, accessibility, and costs. Co-founders highlighted how this approach could significantly reduce the time and effort spent on maintaining legacy systems, freeing developers to focus on innovation.

The company emphasized its commitment to building an open and composable ecosystem for AI Native Software Development. Tessl believes such an approach will empower developers, teams, and companies to tailor their workflows, share insights, and leverage existing software development expertise in a non-code-centric paradigm.

Tessl plans to launch its open platform early next year and has invited early adopters to join its waitlist. The company will host AI Native Dev Con on November 21 to facilitate discussions on AI-powered software development. Tessl aims to lead the charge in creating a collaborative ecosystem for developers to shape the future of AI-driven software creation.

Featured image: Credit: Tessl