By Julie Bort | TechCrunch
There’s a lot of talk in the startup world about how AI makes individuals so productive that it could give rise to a generation of “solo unicorns” — one-person companies worth over $1 billion.
While an actual solo unicorn remains a mythical creature, Israeli developer Maor Shlomo provided compelling evidence Wednesday that the concept might not be impossible.
Shlomo sold his 6-month-old, bootstrapped vibe-coding startup Base44 to Wix for $80 million, Wix announced Wednesday. And the deal was cash, Wix confirmed to TechCrunch.
Shruti Gurudanti, director of corporate transactions at Rose Law Group, commented on the sale, saying:
“Wix’s payment of a $25 million retention bonus clearly indicates how important it is for the buyer to maintain business continuity and safeguard human capital. Startups should carefully read and understand all earn‑out provisions, employee agreements, and escrow mechanisms to mitigate future disputes.”
