1.5 million people are using CodeGPT to rethink software development with AI

By Riley Kaminer

Alvaro Chavez’s journey to becoming a co-founder of Miami startup CodeGPT started thousands of miles away in Chile.

A former Latin Airlines executive, Chavez spent nearly a decade managing billions of dollars in fuel procurement and efficiency. “I was always fascinated by tech and data, so that became a core part of my role,” Chavez told Refresh Miami. But in 2017, he left the corporate world to pursue entrepreneurship, launching a series of ventures that would eventually lead him to Miami.

His first startup was a proptech company in Chile, which he successfully exited after just a year. Next came a development shop that grew to over 100 developers and a few million dollars in revenue before Chavez sold his shares in 2022.

Meanwhile, he started another proptech company, one that brought him to the U.S. during the pandemic. Focused on acquiring and managing single-family rental homes using technology, the business thrived until rising interest rates in 2022 made the model less sustainable.

By 2023, Chavez was ready for a new challenge. That’s when he reconnected with Daniel Ávila Arias, a fellow U.S.-based Chilean entrepreneur and longtime friend who had stumbled onto something remarkable in the AI space. Danny had developed a tool for coding efficiency – essentially an AI agent for developers – and it had unexpectedly gone viral, amassing over 300,000 downloads.

“Danny told me someone from Norway wanted to buy the tool for $500,000,” Chavez said. “I called him and said, ‘Don’t sell it. Let’s build something together.’” And so, CodeGPT was born.

CodeGPT capitalizes on the rising demand for AI-powered tools that simplify software development. The platform allows developers to create custom AI agents that integrate with their coding environments, enabling faster, smarter workflows.

“It’s like having a crew of AI teammates you can call on whenever you need help,” Chavez explained. These agents can analyze private datasets, assist with code generation, and even troubleshoot problems directly within the text editor.

The tool’s appeal has been global from the beginning, having been downloaded more than 1.5 million times across 180 countries thus far. All this from a team of just around 20 employees, three of whom are based in Miami. The startup has participated in Techstars and Endeavor accelerators, and so far has raised $1.2 million as part of a pre-seed round.

“We’ve seen adoption everywhere, from startups to major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia,” Chavez noted.

For CodeGPT, the future lies in creating a robust ecosystem of AI agents that cater not just to developers but also to other stakeholders like product managers and CTOs. Chavez hinted at several upcoming features (or “new agents,” as the team calls them) that will broaden the platform’s appeal. While he couldn’t reveal specifics, he teased partnerships with major players that could amplify CodeGPT’s impact.

More broadly, Chavez envisions a future where tools like CodeGPT redefine the role of technical talent. In his view, AI will make coding more accessible, expanding the pool of developers from 28 million today to potentially 100 million in the next five years.

“Eventually, coding itself might become obsolete,” he predicted. “People will create software in plain English, and programming languages like Python will become relics, like Latin.”

But what does this mean for traditional developers? Chavez believes that their roles will shift from writing code to supervising AI systems.

“Think about an Amazon warehouse,” he said. “Ten years ago, it was humans moving boxes. Today, it’s mostly robots, with a few humans overseeing operations. That’s the direction we’re heading with software development.”

Pictured at top of post: Part of CodeGPT’s team

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I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.