Oslo-based Riff has raised €14.7M ($16M) in Series A funding to scale its vibe coding platform that enables companies to build production-ready AI applications without writing code. The round was led by Northzone, with participation from existing investors Skyfall Ventures, Maki.vc, Sondo Capital, and Global Founders Capital, plus new backer Illusian, the family office of Supercell founder Ilkka Paananen.
The fresh capital brings Riff’s total funding to approximately €18M. This matters because while AI tools proliferate, an MIT study found 95% of AI initiatives fail to deliver real business value. Riff tackles this problem head-on by bridging the gap between experimentation and actual deployment.
Production-ready vibe coding platform for enterprises
Founded in 2021 by former Cognite executives Trygve Karper, Martin Røed, and Viral Shah, Riff enables non-technical professionals to build complex, data-heavy applications using templates, expert guidance, and proven playbooks. The platform combines intuitive design with robust infrastructure that actually works in production environments.
“Many come to us after weeks stuck in limbo after having been promised the moon on hyped products,” says Karper. “Having created modular building blocks that drive immediate value, our builders taste success out of the gate.” The startup now serves over 150,000 users, with enterprise clients like Twilio and Cognite using the platform to optimize operations across manufacturing, financial services, logistics, healthcare, and consumer goods.
Michiel Kotting, partner at Northzone, adds: “Vibe coding is ushering in a transformational shift in software development, where anyone can create, launch, and maintain applications without having to code. What makes Riff special is the relentless focus on providing doers with the ability to build tooling that works in production.”
Scaling AI app development without big IT teams
Riff distinguishes itself through native integrations with tools like HubSpot, Google Drive, Stripe, and Notion, allowing one-click connections to existing tech stacks. The platform also features AI-driven agents that handle data synchronization, alerts, and workflows, plus background agents enabling users to make changes directly from mobile devices.
The company’s customer retention rate sits at 51% after three months, which Karper describes as “quite extraordinary” given typical curiosity-driven AI signups. “There is always a path to success for our customers,” he explains. “That is why we have a services arm in Singapore. We also have a very personal relationship with our customers when they first come in.”
With the Series A funding, Riff aims to expand its reach and empower thousands more professionals to build and deploy impactful AI solutions. The startup’s approach proves that production-grade AI deployment doesn’t require massive IT departments, just the right tools and guidance to turn ideas into working applications.