IBM Corp. is advancing into the fast-emerging “vibe coding” movement through a strategic investment in design-to-code startup Anima App Inc., thereby reinforcing its ambition to transform how organisations design, build, and ship digital products in the artificial intelligence era.
In recent months, vibe coding has emerged as a highly disruptive force in software development, as it allows developers and nondevelopers alike to generate, refine, and debug application code using natural language prompts. As a result, the approach has shifted developer focus away from writing code line by line and toward higher-level guidance, while significantly accelerating development cycles.
However, IBM has pointed out that vibe coding does not always deliver flawless results. Although large language models excel at producing logic, they often struggle to maintain consistent, high-quality, and brand-aligned user interfaces. Consequently, Anima addresses this gap by democratizing UI design through an AI agent that enables virtually anyone to function as an application designer. Importantly, Anima’s agents access complete brand context, including design files, codebases, and brand language, which allows the platform to create branded products that teams can ship instantly.
Anima refers to this approach as “design-to-code.” Its platform integrates seamlessly with tools such as Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch and converts UI designs into fully functional, high-fidelity code with a single click. In doing so, the company positions itself as a critical bridge between designers and developers by transforming static visual layouts into clean, responsive code that teams can deploy directly into production.
Moreover, the company says its platform accelerates the design-to-development pipeline by automating repetitive tasks such as writing boilerplate frontend code, HTML, and CSS. As a result, developers can concentrate on complex application logic rather than visual presentation. Users simply upload a visual design, after which Anima generates the necessary code to build a working user interface. From there, users can further refine designs through natural language prompts until they achieve the desired outcome.
Meanwhile, IBM has not disclosed the size of the investment but has emphasised that it shares a core belief with Anima that design should no longer exist as a static artifact. Instead, IBM views design as evolving into living, interactive code that responds dynamically and connects to real-world data. Notably, AI enables this shift because it understands the structure of code more effectively than it interprets pixels or vectors.
Commenting on the broader trend, Anima Chief Executive Officer Avishay Cohen said vibe coding is pushing the industry toward a future in which more than 3 billion people globally will become coders. “AI brings a new era for design and product, where code is the new canvas,” he said. “This strategic investment from IBM supercharges our mission to bring Anima to every enterprise team, drawing on its global operations and extensive expertise in enterprise technology and AI.”
Anima, which last raised external funding in September 2021, said the undisclosed investment will help deepen platform integrations with enterprise brands and design tools while also enabling support for legacy front-end code. Already, the startup has gained strong traction, becoming a core part of design workflows at companies such as Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Deloitte Touche Ltd., and Accenture Plc. These organisations report that Anima accelerates design timelines by up to 50% on average while reducing frontend development costs by nearly 80%.
From IBM’s perspective, Emily Fontaine, IBM’s global head of venture capital, said Anima’s platform has strongly resonated with enterprise product and design teams. “We are confident Anima will stay at the forefront as design and engineering converge, delivering greater efficiency and innovation for enterprise clients,” she said.
IBM’s investment in Anima highlights a growing shift toward AI-native, design-driven software development where speed, brand consistency, and automation converge. By backing Anima’s design-to-code vision, IBM strengthens its position in the evolving vibe-coding landscape while supporting a future where design and engineering merge into a single, intelligent workflow for enterprises worldwide.
