CodeBuddy, a Nebraska-founded startup blending AI tools with expert mentorship to streamline software development, has closed an $872,500 seed round to accelerate its growth. The round was led by Invest Nebraska and includes funding from Cultivation Capital, Nebraska Angels and South Dakota First Capital.

“We were excited to support CodeBuddy because of the team’s deep technical expertise and the versatility of the platform,” said Invest Nebraska’s Investment Manager Shelby Stratton. “Their ability to integrate code learning, generation and assistance into a single, web-based tool for creating and organizing programming is both timely and impactful.”

Founded in 2021, CodeBuddy offers an AI-assisted development platform that helps users, particularly those without formal computer science training, take projects from idea to concept.

The company’s tools cover the entire software life cycle, from installation and task planning to cloud management and architecture design. Its mission is to make software development more accessible, affordable and supportive for technically promising individuals.

“Our main goal is to take someone that is technically promising, but not a four-year computer science graduate, and allow them to build their own software,” said CEO and Co-Founder Devon Seacrest.

The new funding will support expansion beyond CodeBuddy’s current reach in six states — Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota and Oklahoma — while fueling hiring across development, sales and marketing. Funds will also support community-building efforts under the company’s “DEV different” initiative, including podcasts, thought leadership content and product coaching initiatives.

Unlike platforms focused on enterprise legacy systems, CodeBuddy’s tools are tailored exclusively to new software development. The platform integrates AI with a network of human experts, offering a hybrid model Seacrest said is essential to building user confidence and long-term success. “We’re not just developer tools,” he said. “We surround our users with developers that can be mentors, product coaches and community support.”

The seven-person team plans to grow in the coming months. The startup has now raised more than $1.5 million in total funding since its inception.

“We think the world will be a better place when anybody can build software to improve their lives,” Seacrest said.