Code Metal Secures $36M in Accel-Led Funding Round

Two years ago, Peter Morales identified a burgeoning need in the rapidly evolving landscape of software development: AI-powered coding tools. His startup, Code Metal, has now secured $36.5 million in funding, a testament to the growing demand for its technology. The investment was spearheaded by Accel Partners, a venture capital firm known for its early investments in tech giants like Facebook, Dropbox and Atlassian.

Code Metal’s core innovation lies in its ability to enable software engineers to write code once and automatically translate it into multiple programming languages. This cross-platform compatibility accelerates feature deployment and expands the potential user base. Morales, previously the technology chief at a gaming company, emphasizes the appeal of Code Metal’s solution to developers working on embedded systems – software controlling appliances, consumer electronics, factory robots, automobiles, and medical devices.

The challenge in these industries stems from the fragmented nature of hardware architectures. Diverse chips require bespoke software development kits, operating systems, and code libraries. Morales illustrates the problem with an example: an automaker developing a feature for a new sports car equipped with the latest Nvidia chip faces the challenge of porting that functionality to older minivan models. Code Metal’s AI automates this translation process, saving time and resources while ensuring consistent performance across different platforms.

Code Metal distinguishes itself from generative AI “vibe coding” platforms like Cursor or Anthropic’s Claude Code, which automate code generation from natural language prompts. These platforms focus on rapidly prototyping minimum viable products, but Code Metal addresses a different need: deploying production-ready code. “Vibe coding is all about explaining an initial idea in text, and generating code that will get you started developing your minimum viable product,” Morales explained. “This is not where most companies spend their time. Code Metal focuses on bringing code to production. That requires strong guarantees the code we’re converting is accurate, compliant and working as expected.”

The company argues that large language models alone lack the reliability required for mission-critical applications. Therefore, Code Metal utilizes formal methods, a suite of rigorous mathematical techniques, to verify the accuracy and correctness of translated code. This combination of AI-driven automation and formal verification delivers the necessary level of assurance for demanding applications.

Based in Boston, Code Metal reports securing contracts worth tens of millions of dollars with commercial and public sector clients. These include the U.S. Air Force, L3Harris, and Raytheon, as well as automotive suppliers and consumer electronics brands. This diverse client base highlights the broad applicability of Code Metal’s technology.

According to Accel’s Steve Loughlin, who led the investment, Code Metal is currently the fastest-growing company in his firm’s portfolio of early-stage startups. He cites surging demand for the company’s technology as a key driver. “The market opportunity is practically uncapped here,” Loughlin said, “to help people develop on the edge much faster and modernize legacy code.” This “uncapped” potential speaks to the ever-increasing need for bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern architectures, a need Code Metal is uniquely positioned to address.

Previous investors J2 ventures and Shield Capital also participated in this funding round, alongside Bosch ventures and Raytheon’s RTX Ventures. The participation of these strategic investors underscores the potential of Code Metal’s technology to disrupt industries ranging from automotive to aerospace and defense.