Solo-Founder Just Sold His 6-month old AI Startup for $80M Cash

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Hey, it's Clark.

This week, Israeli solo-founder Maor Shlomo sold his 6-month-old vibe-coding startup Base44 to Wix for $80 million cash. Base44 hit 250,000 users and turned profitable by month three, all with just eight employees. That's roughly $13 million of value creation for every calendar month the company existed.

AI-leveraged solo founders are now creating multi-million dollar value without building massive teams. The startup world keeps talking about "solo unicorns"—billion-dollar companies owned by one person—and while $80M isn't $1B, maybe in the age of AI-leveraged solo founders, we aren't too far from that mythical place after all.

Let's dive in…

IN TODAY'S EDITION: 

Top Story: First-Ever Fully Robotic Heart Transplant in U.S. Performed on 45-Year-Old Patient

Industry Watch: Jet-Powered Humanoid Robot Achieves Controlled Flight

Notable Transactions: Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2B at $10B Valuation under former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati 

New Tools to Try: AgentDock offers an open-source platform to build, manage, and deploy AI agents without API complexity 

Power Prompt: The Pro-Level Meta-Prompt transforms simple requests into expert-engineered structured prompts

THIS WEEK’S TOP STORY

First-Ever Fully Robotic Heart Transplant Performed in U.S.

Dr. Kenneth Liao and his surgical team achieved this medical breakthrough using small, precise incisions instead of opening the chest and breaking the breastbone. The robotic approach preserves chest wall integrity, reducing infection risk and improving patient mobility and respiratory function. The technique eliminates excessive bleeding from bone cutting and reduces blood transfusion needs, minimizing antibody development against the transplanted heart. (Baylor College of Medicine)

INDUSTRY WATCH

Manufacturing | Jet‑Powered Humanoid Robot Achieves Controlled Flight

Italian Institute of Technology researchers have developed iRonCub3, the first humanoid robot with four jet engines and AI-driven control systems. In recent tests, it hovered approximately 50 cm off the ground while maintaining stability, marking a milestone in aerospace robotics after two years of development. (TechXplore)

Real Estate | AI Deal Assistant Analyzes Deals 12× Faster

ACC Software unveiled the AI-powered Deal Assistant, a web tool that evaluates real estate deals from a property address or Zillow link. It calculates projected after-repair value (ARV), rehab costs, and cash flow estimates in real time—streamlining deal analysis for investors, brokers, and managers. (Financial Content)

Agriculture | AI‑Enabled Hyperspectral Sensors Optimize Herbicide Use

At the University of Arkansas, researchers used sensors combined with AI to measure herbicide efficacy more precisely—enabling data‑driven weed control that minimizes resistance and boosts crop management efficiency. (AZoSensors)

Tech | Hertz’s AI Damage Scanner Sparks Unexpected Bills

Hertz has deployed AI-based scanners to detect vehicle damage upon return. Several renters report receiving charges—$195 for a dent and $440 for a scuffed wheel—often for issues unnoticed by human staff. (Carscoops)

Healthcare | New AI Model Detects Brain Tumors with ~99 % Accuracy

A novel AI model demonstrates about 99 % accuracy in diagnosing brain tumors—identifying over 170 tumor types—through non‑invasive methods, potentially reducing the need for surgical biopsy. (SciTechDaily)

Banking & Finance | Mastercard Launches AI‑Driven Fraud Solution in EEMEA

Mastercard introduced Account Intelligence Reissuance in Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa—an AI-powered service to prioritize compromised payment cards, enabling real-time fraud protection and streamlined reissuance. (Economy Middle East)

Retail | Walmart Rolls Out AI Tools for 1.5 Million Associates

Walmart is deploying a suite of AI tools across its U.S. workforce—enabling real-time translation in 44 languages, AI-driven task management, and AR-based inventory tools, empowering 1.5 million associates to improve efficiency. (Walmart)

Media | Pinterest Tests AI‑Curated Shoppable Collages

Pinterest’s Ad Labs is piloting an AI feature that transforms advertiser product catalogs into thousands of instantly shoppable collages. Tested with partners like Macy’s and showcased at Cannes Lions 2025, the tool aims to boost ad engagement and shopping efficiency. (Retail Dive)

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS

Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2B at $10B Valuation – Founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, the stealth AI startup aims to build next-generation AI systems focused on collaboration with humans. (PYMNTS)

Vultr Secures $329M to Expand Global AI Cloud Infrastructure – The cloud computing firm will use the mix of credit and lease financing to grow its AI data centers across North America, Europe, and APAC. (BusinessWire)

Abridge Raises $300M at $5.3B Valuation – The healthcare AI startup, which turns doctor-patient conversations into clinical notes, will use the funds to expand its reach across major hospital systems. (Crunchbase)

Coralogix Raises $115M to Expand AI Monitoring Platform – The data company will use the funding to grow its platform that helps businesses track and fix system issues, following its recent acquisition of Aporia. (Coralogix)

Sword Health Raises $40M at $4B Valuation – The digital health startup, which uses AI to deliver physical therapy remotely, will use the funds to boost growth and delay its IPO plans to 2028. (TechCrunch)

NEW TOOLS TO TRY

POWER PROMPT

This Week: The Pro-Level Meta-Prompt

Instead of a simple request, give the AI a structured task. You provide your original, simple prompt, and you ask the AI to act as an expert prompt engineer and rebuild it for you based on specific criteria. Just drop your simple idea into the [Your original goal or prompt] section.

Act as an expert prompt engineer. Your task is to take my simple prompt/goal and transform it into a detailed, optimized prompt that will yield a superior result.

First, analyze my request below and identify any ambiguities or missing information.

Then, construct a new, comprehensive prompt that:
1.  **Assigns a clear Role/Persona** to the AI (e.g., "Act as a senior financial analyst...").
2.  **Provides Essential Context** that the AI would need to know.
3.  **Specifies the exact Format** for the output (e.g., Markdown table, JSON, bulleted list).
4.  **Includes Concrete Examples** of the desired output style or content.
5.  **Adds Constraints** to prevent common errors or unwanted content (e.g., "Do not use jargon," "Ensure the tone is encouraging").

Here is my original request:
[Your original goal or prompt]

Now, provide only the new, optimized prompt.

Prompt credit: Master_Worker_3668

THAT’S A WRAP

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See you next week,
Clark Valberg

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