AI Coding Startup Cognition Labs Eyes $2 Billion Valuation: Will Soaring Growth Continue?

Cognition Labs, a promising AI startup developing a coding assistant tool called Devin, is reportedly in talks to raise funds at a massive $2 billion valuation – nearly 6 times its worth just weeks ago. Silicon Valley investors including Founders Fund are leading negotiations to pump money into Cognition at this sky-high price tag.

Founded only last year, the young startup doesn’t generate meaningful revenue yet. Earlier in 2022, Cognition was valued at a more modest $350 million during a successful $21 million funding round led by Founders Fund – whose billionaire co-founder Peter Thiel is an early backer. But since then, its valuation has rocketed upwards.

Cognition turned down billion-dollar offers, holding out for the stunning near-$2B target. If achieved, it would cement the AI startup’s position among the most valuable emerging tech companies worldwide. The lofty funding discussions underscore soaring interest in generative AI and its potential to automate software development.

Cognition isn’t alone experiencing exponential growth. Other AI startups like Mistral and Perplexity recently reached billion-dollar valuations multiple times higher than previous levels, fueled by investor enthusiasm for AI. Cognition itself pivoted from crypto into the hot AI sector as generative models like ChatGPT captured attention.

Devin, Cognition’s AI assistant released last month, aims to autonomously complete complex coding tasks. It harnesses powerful models from OpenAI, where backer Founders Fund also invests. Some believe Devin signifies major progress in AI that could revolutionize software engineering workflows.

Rivals are catching on too, with Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot growing 30% last quarter. $117 million-funded Magic also competes in the AI coding space. Investors are pouring cash into automation tools, yet few have demonstrated monetization at scale. Only time will tell if ballooning valuations can translate to real-world revenue matching massive R&D costs like the $50 billion spent on AI chips last year alone.

With competition heating up, will Cognition manage to pull off its lofty $2 billion target, and keep growing at a blistering pace in an industry accused of fostering another bubble? All eyes are on whether its promising coding bot Devin can deliver the automation revolution.