Cognition has secured $1 billion in funding at a $26 billion valuation, making the two-year-old startup one of the most valuable AI companies in the industry. The company created Devin, one of the first AI coding agents to gain widespread attention. In announcing the raise, Cognition described a future of "self-driving software development," prompting questions about whether AI could replace human programmers.
But CEO Scott Wu pushes back on the idea that Devin is meant to replace coders. "We've never thought about it as replacing humans," Wu told TechCrunch. "It has never been our view." He emphasized that the team doesn't want to see programmers lose their jobs, especially during 2026 when tech executives are routinely announcing layoffs tied to AI adoption.
Wu himself is a former child prodigy in programming. He started coding at age nine and won a nationwide math competition for seventh-graders while in second grade. That competitive programming background connected him with other young tech founders, including Alexandr Wang, who went on to build Scale AI. Wu sees Devin not as a replacement, but as a collaborative tool. He even keeps a small stuffed animal resembling Devin on his desk as a symbol of that philosophy. "When we started building Devin, we really just thought of it as: this is your buddy who helps you build more," he explained.