As the landscape of AI-driven software development continues to evolve, Blacksmith has secured additional funding led by Google Ventures to expedite the process of code deployment. This Series A funding round of $10 million closed in just 14 days, with Google Ventures showing confidence in Blacksmith’s growth by doubling down on their initial investment from four months prior.
Blacksmith, a San Francisco-based startup founded in January 2024, offers a continuous integration and continuous delivery service for developers that works seamlessly with GitHub actions. The company has experienced rapid growth, reaching $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in February and subsequently hitting $3.5 million ARR with over 700 customers. The team of four founders has expanded to a team of eight, with plans to double revenue by the end of the year.
The founders of Blacksmith, who met at the University of Waterloo, have a background in building large-scale distributed systems at companies like Faire and Cockroach Labs. They identified the challenges and costs associated with the build and unit testing stages of software releases, known as continuous integration (CI), and sought to streamline the process.
Unlike traditional cloud service providers, Blacksmith utilizes high-performance, gaming-grade CPUs for its service, resulting in faster processing speeds and reduced compute costs. By leveraging bare-metal infrastructure, the startup has better control over its economics and margins, allowing for faster deployment and increased efficiency.
In addition to its core services, Blacksmith offers test analytics and an observability roadmap to provide customers with deeper insights into GitHub Actions. The platform is designed for companies with teams of 500 engineers or more, with notable customers including Ashby, Chroma, Clerk, Devsisters, Mintlify, Pylon, Slope, Supabase, and VEED.
The latest funding round also saw participation from existing investors and angels, including industry veterans like Spencer Kimball, CEO of Cockroach Labs, and David Cramer, co-founder of Sentry. Blacksmith, which launched out of Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 batch, now boasts a team of 11 dedicated individuals.
Overall, Blacksmith’s innovative approach to continuous integration and delivery, coupled with its focus on high-performance infrastructure and customer satisfaction, has positioned the company as a leading player in the AI-driven software development space. With continued support from investors and a growing customer base, Blacksmith is poised for further success in the industry.