Replit, the AI-driven coding platform, unveiled a tool on January 15 that enables anyone to craft fully functional iOS apps using plain English descriptions, bypassing years of programming expertise. Users can integrate databases, authentication, notifications, and even monetization, then submit directly to Apple’s App Store with minimal effort. This launch, detailed in a live CNBC interview with CEO Amjad Masad, arrives amid a surge in “vibe coding,” where natural language prompts generate deployable software.

Masad, Replit’s founder and a co-creator of React Native during his time at Meta, described the feature as a “full circle moment.” Built on React Native and Expo, it handles platform-specific APIs like Apple’s location services and push notifications, which have long stymied AI tools. “AI has impacted desktop and web software, but mobile has been harder,” Masad told CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa. Replit automates the arduous App Store review process, often approving submissions in one or two days.

The timing coincides with Anthropic’s Claude Co-work going viral, sparking a wave of non-technical users building apps. CNBC host Jared Dorsa demonstrated creating “Market Bling,” a dashboard tracking trillion-dollar market cap milestones with confetti animations, and an “Evadometer” analyzing executive evasiveness in earnings calls—all via Replit and Claude Co-work.

Mobile Breakthrough Reshapes App Creation

Replit’s Mobile Apps feature generates code, sets up backend services, and prepares binaries for iOS and soon Android. Posts on X from Replit highlight integrations with OpenAI, Apple Maps, and Twilio, allowing apps to run fully functional from launch. “Your mobile apps can be fully functional from day one,” the company posted on X.

Industry observers note this democratizes a market dominated by professional developers. A WebProNews article explains how the tool transforms prompts into deployable apps via React Native and Expo, streamlining prototyping, testing, and submission while cautioning on human oversight for complex compliance.

Google’s recent partnership with Replit, announced in December, bolsters this push. Replit expanded Google Cloud usage and added Gemini models, targeting enterprise AI coding, per CNBC.

Software Incumbents Face Existential Pressure

Public software stocks have faltered in 2026, with investors fearing AI erodes moats. Masad predicts fewer public software firms in five years: “Companies that embrace agents and become platforms for agents will survive and thrive.” He cites Zillow and Duolingo using Replit for rapid iteration, unhindered by engineer shortages.

Salesforce, despite rebranding efforts as “Agent Force,” trades as an anti-AI proxy. Box CEO Aaron Levy argued on CNBC that vibe coding suits edge cases, not core systems. Masad counters that Replit handles security, privacy, auth, and databases end-to-end, unlike code generators alone. A recent Replit white paper details AI-generated code scanning for secrets leakage.

Holden Span, managing partner at Thoma Bravo, warned in the Financial Times that AI startups atop foundation models lack defensibility. Masad rebuts Replit’s decade of infrastructure—like a scalable file system enabling sandboxed “time travel” reversions—sets it apart from newcomers.

Valuation Soars Amid Funding Frenzy

Replit is closing a $400 million round at a $9 billion valuation, per Tech Funding News, positioning it against OpenAI and Cursor. Earlier buzz valued it at $3 billion, as noted by The Standard. Gross margins remain positive despite compute demands, Masad said.

Business Insider reports CEOs now prototype via vibe coding, freeing them from engineers. “Product managers may just be some of the best vibe coders,” Replit’s CEO told the outlet. VentureBeat quotes Masad: future software is “agents all the way down,” with Replit agents building apps in 15 minutes.

Replit’s free tier evolution, announced on X, includes daily AI usage and publishing, drawing 810,000 views. This consumer-first approach contrasts enterprise-heavy rivals.

Decentralized Innovation Wave

Masad envisions decentralization: “We’re going to see an explosion of new ideas and entrepreneurs from all over the world.” Vertical CRMs for private equity emerge on Replit, challenging Salesforce for smaller niches. Enterprises build automations atop incumbents, he notes.

Job advice for kids: deep specialists in ML or hardware remain vital, but everyday coding shifts to product-building sans degrees. “Everyone has ideas… until today they couldn’t get it out,” Masad said. Replit hires vibe coders for internal tools outperforming market options.

Critics fear “slop” flooding app stores. Masad likens it to early YouTube: decentralization births novel aesthetics and media, boosting entrepreneurship amid declining U.S. firm creation.

Enterprise Adoption Accelerates

Verizon executives ditch slide decks for Replit demos, per LinkedIn. A media firm case study replaced costly software, reallocating savings to Gen Z AI builders. Masad sees net job growth in creative roles, though big tech hiring stalls.

Replit’s multi-model strategy—Claude for coding, Gemini for search, OpenAI for reviews—avoids lab lock-in. Betting on Anthropic’s Opus jumpstarted the coding boom; Chinese models like DeepSeek loom. Infrastructure as “public benefit,” Masad argues, echoing dot-com fiber optics enabling Facebook.

IPO chatter: Bankers pursue Replit post-CNBC. At 150 employees, it’s efficient but weighing public benefits for retail investors. Masad: addressable market is “the biggest ever.”

Model Wars and Compute Realities

Token burn worries persist, but efficiency gains—like anticipated DeepSeek coder—help. Replit’s sandbox prevents costly errors, unlike local Claude installs. Partnerships with Expo ease cross-platform woes Jordan Walke and Masad pioneered at Facebook.

X sentiment buzzes: Replit’s mobile tease garnered millions of views, with creators eyeing health data, location plugins. CNBC tuned in live as Claude Co-work hype peaked.

Replit Agents podcast with Matt Turck delves into AI’s software overhaul, from YC rejections to agent futures. As vibe coding matures, Masad’s vision positions Replit as the end-to-end enabler, potentially redefining who builds—and owns—the next software era.