When Matija Šošić first got into web development, he thought the hard part would be writing code. But he quickly discovered that the real challenge was something else entirely—just getting everything to work together.
Like many developers, he found the modern web development process to be a tangled mess. You had to piece together the front-end, back-end, database, authentication, and hosting—each with a different tool or framework. The setup alone took days, and making it scalable and secure? That was another story.
“The ecosystem is very modular and fragmented,” Matija explained in an interview. “You’re basically duct-taping tools together and hoping they don’t fall apart when you scale.”
The Idea Behind Wasp: One Tool to Connect Them All
In 2020, Matija joined up with his twin brother, Martin Šošić—who had confronted the same cerebral pains in his claim designer travel. Together, they set out to construct something way better.
By 2021, they propelled Wasp:
a full-stack web app improvement device planned to stick together your favorite advances without the torment.
Rather than inquiring engineers to memorize a unused system or programming dialect, Wasp works with instruments you likely as of now use—like Respond, Node.js, and Prisma—and brings them all beneath one roof.
So, What Precisely Is Wasp?
Wasp is an open-source instrument that makes a difference you construct production-ready web apps without investing weeks setting everything up.
Think of Wasp as the “missing layer” that sits on top of your stack. You write your business logic and front-end like you normally would, and Wasp takes care of the wiring—routing, API integration, authentication, database handling, and even deployment support.
- Some of Wasp’s key features include:
- Seamless integration with React, Node.js, and Prisma
- Built-in support for things like user auth and data modeling
- Helpful error messages when something critical is missing (like an API key)
- Code suggestions to prevent future bugs
- The option to deploy on the cloud or your own server
- Open-source and free to use
Why Wasp Matters Right Now
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a rise in AI-powered coding assistants like Cursor and Windsurf (formerly known as Codeium). These tools help non-technical users write code more easily than ever before.
But Matija points out a big concern: “Vibe coding doesn’t work for enterprise.”
In other words, just getting something to work isn’t enough. You need secure, scalable, and maintainable code—especially if you’re building for real users. That’s where Wasp shines.
It gives new developers a safety net, and it gives experienced teams a much faster way to launch without compromising on code quality.
Open-Source from Day One
Wasp was built with the community in mind. From the beginning, Matija and Martin wanted developers to be able to inspect the code, contribute features, and customize the tool to their needs.
This open-source approach paid off. Since launching its public beta in 2023, Wasp has earned over 26,000 stars on GitHub—proof that there’s real demand for this kind of tool.
Developers love that they can self-host Wasp if needed, whether they’re deploying to AWS, Vercel, or their own enterprise server.
Not Trying to Replace Developers—Just Make Their Lives Easier
One thing that makes Wasp different from many other tools is its philosophy. It’s not here to replace developers. It’s here to help them focus on building features instead of setting up infrastructure.
Let’s say you forget to define an environment variable or configure something in your database. Wasp doesn’t just crash—it tells you what’s missing and how to fix it.
That kind of smart, developer-friendly guidance can save hours (if not days) of debugging.
From Y Combinator to the Real World
Wasp’s journey kicked off with its acceptance into Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 batch. That gave Matija and Martin the runway to refine their product, talk to users, and prepare for a broader launch.
When they opened the beta in 2023, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Developers started sharing their Wasp-built apps, and more companies began adopting the tool for serious projects.
Now, Wasp isn’t just a tool for indie hackers and solo devs—it’s being used by both startups and Fortune 500 companies.
A Big Funding Boost to Fuel Growth
In late 2024, Wasp quietly closed a $3.7 million funding round led by HV Capital. The round also included support from Fifth Quarter Ventures, Big Bets, and Metis Ventures.
Two standout angel investors also joined in: Ant Wilson (co-founder of Supabase) and Søren Bramer Schmidt (CEO of Prisma).
With this new funding, Wasp’s total raised now stands at $5.2 million, including a $1.5 million seed round back in 2021.
“This gives us the freedom to focus on the product and push it to the next level,” Matija said.
What’s Coming Next: Wasp 1.0
Wasp’s roadmap for 2025 is all about refining the core product and reaching version 1.0. The team is working on some highly requested features, including:
- Support for multiple programming languages
- Server-side rendering (SSR) for better performance and SEO
- More flexibility in deployment and customization
- Improved developer experience based on 4 years of feedback
Matija shared that the feedback from the developer community has been invaluable. “Now we really understand what Wasp needs to support to be the best it can be,” he said.
For more in-depth knowledge, read this article: Wasp’s platform is the glue that holds web dev apps together
Why Developers Are Falling in Love with Wasp
Wasp is winning over developers for a few key reasons:
- It’s familiar: You don’t have to learn a new language or give up your favorite tools.
- It’s fast: Setting up a full-stack app takes minutes, not hours.
- It’s helpful: Wasp catches common errors before they become bugs.
- It’s scalable: Whether you’re building a side project or an enterprise app, Wasp grows with you.
And because it’s open-source, developers trust that Wasp won’t lock them into a closed ecosystem.
Final Thoughts: Making Full-Stack Simpler for Everyone
Wasp isn’t fair another dev tool—it’s a efficiency powerhouse for cutting edge engineers. By tackling the muddled parts of full-stack improvement, Wasp lets you center on what things:
building awesome program.
Whether you’re fair beginning your dev travel or overseeing a item at a major company, Wasp is outlined to create your life simpler. And with adaptation 1.0 fair around the corner, it’s as it were attending to get superior from here.
FAQs About Wasp
What is Wasp?
Wasp is an open-source full-stack web development tool that simplifies app building by integrating React, Node.js, and Prisma into one framework.
Who can use Wasp?
Wasp is designed for developers of all skill levels—from solo developers and students to teams at startups and large enterprises.
Does Wasp require learning a new language?
Nope! Wasp uses your existing tools and syntax, so you don’t need to learn anything new to get started.
Can I deploy Wasp apps to the cloud?
Yes, Wasp apps can be deployed to public clouds like AWS or self-hosted on private infrastructure.
Is Wasp free?
Yes, Wasp is completely open-source and free to use.
