Web development needs a refresh
Inventure has been investing in tech startups since the Web 2.0 days — we’ve seen firsthand how software development has matured while getting much more complex. As a result we have to look for very strong teams that understand what it takes to build a modern web product — a team with decades of combined experience across UI/UX design, source control, CI/CD workflows, QA, DevOps, and more. Learning this takes years, and even after mastering the skills, developers need to keep up with new trends and tools daily.
But even for these mature teams, building a web app has gotten more complex and siloed. Developers, designers, and other stakeholders work in isolation, pushing Jira tickets down to the next person in line rather than interacting with the product directly. This leads to miscommunication, and ultimately, slower innovation.
What if we could rethink how web apps are built? What if we could both fundamentally reshape who participates in the tech revolution and unlock efficiency within teams?
Enter toddle
Toddle is democratizing software development in two powerful ways:
First, toddle gives users the power of a modern JavaScript framework like React, but in a visual interface that doesn’t require years of study to master. This no-code-adjacent platform opens the doors to shorter development cycles for solopreneurs and smaller teams. We love toddle’s vision that this could potentially unlock the first unicorn company built without traditional software engineers.
Second, because it’s so easy to use, toddle reimagines how teams collaborate in building complex web apps. It brings designers, engineers, and all other stakeholders together in a unified environment. Designers can build the UI, engineers can configure the business logic, and marketers can edit copy and content — all within the same platform. In short, it no longer takes an engineer to change the styling of a button, every team member can make changes to the product directly.
A tool for real products
While the no-code themes that toddle plugs into suggests a future where traditional coding might become less prevalent, there remains a significant need for robust, high-quality code that can scale and adapt to complex requirements. We see toddle bridging this gap by offering a platform that combines the ease of no-code with the depth and flexibility required by professional developers.
With the funding news, toddle also announced to TechCrunch that it plans to open-source key components of its platform, including the language (the editor’s output) and runtime (the interpreter) under an Apache 2.0 license. This will allow developers to self-host toddle-built apps and customize the language.
This flexibility means it isn’t just a tool for novice developers, but a platform that meets the needs of experienced software engineers as well. We see this as a true democratization of innovation that can unlock a massive amount of value.
Creating a movement
When investing at pre-seed and Seed, we always focus on the team and Andreas and Kasper continue to incredibly impress us. They’re not just building a company, they’re building a movement- just take a quick look through their blog, discord, or social media to see what we’re talking about. This has given them fantastic ability to attract customers and bring in great people around them.
These founders have a clear unfair advantage, having faced firsthand the limitations of design and software development — they are speaking the customers language. Andreas brings a wealth of experience as VP of Engineering at Cyclindo where he ran into these modern dev problems firsthand. Kasper, with his background in UX design and front-end development, complements Andreas perfectly. Together they are what toddle sets out to achieve — amazing collaboration between design and development.
Toddle is just getting started
We strongly believe that toddle has the potential to change how we build software. By breaking down barriers between different roles in the development process, accelerating time-to-market, and making complex app creation accessible to a wider group Toddle is set to change this industry for the better.
The future of software development is visual, collaborative, and accessible to all — and toddle is leading the way.
