Riff’s $16M Series A Fuels Mission to Bridge AI Implementation Gap in Enterprise

Norwegian Startup Secures Major Funding to Scale AI Solutions

Riff, the Oslo-based technology company pioneering what’s known as “vibe coding,” has successfully closed a $16 million Series A funding round. This significant investment was led by Northzone with participation from a diverse group of international investors including Norwegian VCs Skyfall Ventures and Sondo Capital, Finnish Maki.vc, Berlin-based Global Founders Capital, and Illusian, the family office of Supercell founder Ilkka Paananen. The new capital injection brings Riff’s total funding to $21 million, positioning the company for accelerated growth and product development.

Solving the AI Implementation Challenge

The funding announcement coincides with Riff’s launch of a comprehensive AI product suite designed to address a critical problem in today’s business landscape. According to CEO and cofounder Trygve Karper, while companies are increasingly eager to integrate AI into their operations, a staggering 95% of these initiatives fail to deliver meaningful value, as highlighted in a recent MIT report. Riff aims to reverse this trend by providing businesses with accessible tools to implement AI applications and agents effectively.

“The explosion in vibe coding has primarily been driven by individuals realizing they can finally launch startups,” Karper explains. “While that’s positive, our focus is different. We’re channeling that same energy and capability into enterprise settings, enabling companies to build solutions internally. The value creation potential here is enormous.”

From Unicorn Experience to Practical AI Solutions

Riff’s founding team brings unique credibility to their mission. Karper co-founded the company in 2021 with Martin Røed and Viral Shah, all of whom previously worked across engineering and product teams at Cognite, Norway’s first unicorn company. This background in enterprise technology and digital transformation provides crucial insight into why many AI initiatives fail.

“At Cognite, I was responsible for building all AI, data science, and machine learning capabilities,” Karper recalls. “We worked within massive corporations, observing digitalization programs firsthand, and we consistently saw failure in top-down initiatives. That experience directly informs our approach at Riff.”

Comprehensive Support Drives Customer Success

What sets Riff apart in the competitive vibe coding space is its commitment to customer success through multiple support channels. The company maintains close relationships with its users, offering comprehensive training programs covering platform usage, security best practices, and practical templates. This hands-on approach has helped Riff attract approximately 150,000 users, including its former employer Cognite among its business clients.

“It’s crucial that users can easily get started and immediately derive value,” Karper emphasizes. “We want to enable practical implementation, not just theoretical possibility.”, as covered previously

Impressive Retention Metrics Signal Product-Market Fit

Riff’s customer retention statistics tell a compelling story about its market position. The company has achieved a 51% retention rate after three months, which Karper describes as “quite extraordinary” given the high number of curiosity-driven sign-ups common in the AI sector. This performance reportedly surpasses that of competing vibe coding platforms.

“Our business customers demonstrate strong stickiness, and we maintain excellent retention in that segment,” Karper notes. “There’s a reason for this success—we always ensure there’s a clear path to value for our customers. That’s why we’ve established a services arm in Singapore and maintain very personal relationships with clients from their initial engagement.”

Cross-Industry Adoption and Future Outlook

Riff’s technology has gained traction across diverse sectors including financial services, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer goods. With business customers comprising 40% of its user base, the company has established a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

The recent product expansion introduces AI apps, automations, and agents that integrate seamlessly with customers’ existing technology stacks. While retention metrics for these new offerings are still emerging, Karper expresses confidence based on early indicators: “We have strong reasons to believe performance will be even better with our latest product suite.”

As companies continue to struggle with practical AI implementation, Riff’s focus on enabling internal capability building through accessible vibe coding platforms represents a significant opportunity to transform how businesses leverage artificial intelligence for tangible productivity gains.

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