Dennis Xu, co-founder of the AI note-taking app Mem and now founder of Adaptive Computer, believes the next big leap in computing isn’t more powerful machines — it’s making software creation as easy as typing a sentence.
Xu, a serial entrepreneur but not a programmer, recently unveiled his latest venture, Adaptive Computer, which aims to let anyone, no coding required, build functional, shareable web apps by entering plain text prompts into its platform.
Backed by a $7 million seed round led by Pebblebed, with support from Conviction, Weekend Fund, Jake Paul’s Anti Fund, and even Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki, Adaptive is positioning itself to transform how everyday users interact with software. Xu envisions a world where people can “build the personal computer of their dreams” — not the hardware, but the apps that make the machine useful — no coding knowledge needed.
From Idea to App in Minutes
At the heart of the startup’s vision is its alpha-stage product, ac1. The platform handles all the heavy lifting: database setup, user authentication, file management, Stripe-powered payments, scheduled tasks, and AI features like speech synthesis, image generation, and content analysis.
In a live demo, the system was able to create a JavaScript-powered bicycle ride log app within minutes of receiving a simple text prompt. The app wasn’t just a static prototype — it came with real functionality, including sorting and distance tallying, and could be shared with others without compromising the creator’s private data.
Designed for True Non-Programmers
While the idea of generating code from text isn’t new — competitors like Replit and Lovable are actively expanding in the space — Xu argues Adaptive’s approach is different.
“Most platforms were built to make life easier for programmers,” Xu says. “We’re focused on non-programmers who want to create something for themselves or others without hitting a wall over technical concepts like API keys.”
That distinction means Adaptive is designed to handle the gritty technical setup, letting users skip over common roadblocks that typically require engineering knowledge.
The system even allows created apps to interact with each other. For example, a user could create a file-hosting app, then build another app that accesses and uses those files — behaving more like an interconnected operating system rather than a siloed collection of tools.
Vibe Coding: The Next Frontier?
Xu’s approach taps into the growing trend of “vibe coding,” where users guide the creation of software through conversation-like prompts, rather than conventional programming. The term is gaining steam in tech circles, especially as AI-driven tools reduce the gap between idea and execution.
Other early user experiments on Adaptive’s platform include an AI-powered storytelling app, an e-commerce storefront for coffee beans, and a PDF text-to-speech reader.
Subscription Plans for Creators
Adaptive Computer is offering three subscription tiers:
- a free version with limited capabilities,
- a $20/month mid-tier,
- and a $100/month Creator/Pro package for serious builders.
Looking Ahead
Adaptive Computer’s long-term ambition is to evolve beyond a single app platform into a broader ecosystem for personal software creation — where everyday users can spin up applications as easily as sending a text.
With growing investor backing and early traction, Adaptive is poised to challenge the way both individuals and companies think about software development in the AI age.
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