The former Facebook exec turned full-time CEO is betting that AI can slash enterprise software costs by 90% in regulated industries
Chamath Palihapitiya, the venture capitalist who built a reputation placing big, loud bets across tech and crypto, has gone back to the operator’s chair. His AI-native software development company, 8090, just closed a $135 million Series A led by Salesforce Ventures.
What 8090 actually does #
The company calls itself an “AI Software Factory,” which sounds like marketing fluff until you look at the target customers. 8090 is built for large enterprises in heavily regulated sectors: healthcare, insurance, aerospace. The platform uses AI to design, build, refactor, and modernize complex software systems. Crucially, it maintains audit trails and compliance documentation throughout the process.
The name itself is a thesis statement. 8090 originated from a self-funded incubator concept focused on delivering 80% feature-complete software at 90% lower cost.
Palihapitiya incubated the concept roughly 18 months ago, and the company now reports negative churn among its customer base. Negative churn means existing customers aren’t just sticking around, they’re expanding their usage faster than any accounts are leaving.
The investors and the economics #
Salesforce Ventures led the round, with participation from WndrCo, Craft Ventures, and The Production Board.
Palihapitiya has been candid about the cost curve. He recently noted that AI expenses at 8090 have tripled since late 2025, with projections indicating they could exceed $10 million annually.
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