The Challenge of Full-Stack Development

Matija Šošić encountered significant challenges when he first ventured into web development. A key obstacle was the disjointed nature of development tools necessary for constructing full-stack production-ready applications.

Reflecting on his experience, Šošić noted the modularity of the development environment: “The whole ecosystem is very modular and granulated,” he explained to TechCrunch. He emphasized the complexity developers face as they piece together various subsystems while ensuring scalability and security.

The Birth of Wasp

In response to these challenges, Šošić teamed up with his twin brother, Martin Šošić, to create Wasp in 2021. Wasp aims to unify the plethora of tools developers rely on, simplifying the process of building web applications.

Wasp functions as an integrating layer that combines established technologies such as React, Node.js, and Prisma, effectively streamlining the connection between them to produce cohesive applications.

Aiding Developers in Overcoming Common Hurdles

The platform excels at identifying potential gaps within the coding process. For instance, Wasp can alert developers to missing API keys or suggest code adjustments before issues arise. This functionality is especially pertinent given the rising accessibility of coding through AI tools like Windsurf and Cursor. While these advancements make coding available to more people, Šošić cautioned that “vibe coding doesn’t work for enterprise.” Wasp endeavors to empower developers by enhancing the security and functionality of their full-stack applications.

Open Source and Accessibility

Wasp adopts an open-source model, allowing deployment on public cloud infrastructures or private enterprise servers. The founders chose this approach to offer continuity and familiarity for developers, who won’t need to learn a new programming language or workflow to utilize the platform.

Growth and Investment

Participating in Y Combinator’s winter 2021 cohort, Wasp launched its beta version in 2023. Since then, it has gathered significant traction, evidenced by over 26,000 stars on GitHub and partnerships with startups and Fortune 500 companies.

In late 2024, Wasp raised a notable $3.7 million funding round led by HV Capital with contributions from Fifth Quarter Ventures, Big Bets, and Metis Ventures, along with key figures such as Ant Wilson, co-founder of Supabase, and Søren Bramer Schmidt, CEO of Prisma. This investment brings Wasp’s total funding to approximately $5.2 million, following its initial $1.5 million seed round in 2021.

Future Developments

Šošić expressed enthusiasm about the future, stating, “This gives us a very solid amount of, basically, freedom to work with.” The focus now shifts towards advancing Wasp to version 1.0, which will introduce new capabilities, including support for multiple programming languages and server-side rendering.

With the insights gained from previous developments, the Wasp team is poised to refine its core offering, ensuring the platform effectively meets the needs of developers as they navigate the complex landscape of full-stack web development.