Bloom is changing the future of mobile app development after $3.4m pre-seed round

There seems to be a mobile app for almost everything today—thanks in part to the rise of no-code platforms. However, while many of these platforms advertise “no-code app building,” what they actually deliver are often half-baked frontends that fall short of production-ready standards. Despite the hype, most have yet to enable the creation of fully functional, real-world mobile apps.

Y Combinater-backed startup Bloom is tackling this gap head-on with a platform that builds both the frontend and backend of a mobile app in less than two minutes. In contrast to conventional platforms that require several engineers and months of development, Bloom’s system automatically manages design, code, and backend infrastructure. Users can instantly preview and share their apps—even without publishing them on an app store. “This means apps aren’t just prototypes; they’re real products developers can ship,” explains David Oort Alonso, Bloom’s founder.

Bloom’s uniqueness lies in its proprietary orchestration layer. The moment someone starts an idea, it automatically assembles the entire stack – front-end, back-end, and deployment for web and native. Instead of going through weeks of App Store approvals, Bloom apps can be deployed instantly thanks to App Clips. “Users don’t have to stitch frameworks or manage infrastructure; it’s like having a full-stack senior engineering team built right into the editor. That’s how Bloom takes ideas to live apps in minutes, not months”, says David.

Some examples of apps already built on Bloom include Luna the AI therapist, Towerapp game and Windows 95 chat. 

Thanks to its simplicity and appeal to both technical and non-technical users, the platform is experiencing rapid growth. While Bloom has not disclosed exact numbers, David notes that tens of thousands of users have already built apps across diverse fields including productivity, fitness, marketplaces, and health.

The company recently raised $3.4M in pre-seed funding, led by Moonfire, with participation from Y Combinator and Pioneer Fund. The round also includes backing from notable founders and operators such as Thom Wolf (Hugging Face), Bob van Luijt (Weaviate), Jamie Turner (Convex), Theo (T3Chat), Evan Bacon & Cedric (Expo), Colin Evans (OpenAI), Ron Besseling (WhatsApp), Clive Anyonye (Meta), Robert van Gaal (Google/Vesper), Nick Lenten (Ahead Health), Helena Gagern (Embassy), Chris Smoak (YC alum), Gianmaria Sbetta (Google), and Rodrigo Dominguez Ibar (VC Corner).

Interestingly, Bloom raised its round without ever presenting a pitch deck. Instead, the founders simply demoed the product, and investors were won over instantly. “Some angel investors made intros to all their investor friends, which helped us close the round in just five days. In a matter of months, we’ve gone from zero to a live product used by tens of thousands of builders,” says David. 

Alongside David, co-founder Sirian Maathuis—with whom he has collaborated for over two years—brings experience in creating award-winning consumer apps like Giftit. The team is now actively hiring in Zurich to strengthen its team and accelerate growth. Part of the fresh funding will support this expansion, alongside the development of a broader distribution network.

(RAN)
Photo: Bloom Founders L-R: David Oort Alonso and Sirian Maathuis