A New Era of Collaboration
EngFlow, a well-funded build acceleration startup, has made a significant investment in intipi.build, a pioneering company that specializes in advanced caching and code parsing services. This strategic partnership marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the two companies, aiming to revolutionize the way developers work with CMake, the de facto standard for building C++ code.
A Shared Vision
EngFlow’s co-founder and CEO, Helen Altshuler, explained that the investment was motivated by the shared vision of both companies. "We have just discovered each other’s companies and instantly knew we should be working together, but not yet how," she said in an interview. The founders of tipi.build, Damien Buhl and Yannic Staudt, were initially wary of EngFlow as potential competitors, but after several sessions on tech and product sharing, they realized the potential for collaboration.
A Walking Tour of Zurich
The meeting between the two companies’ founders was a catalyst for the partnership. Altshuler, along with her co-founder and CTO, Ulf Adams, and Chief Strategy Officer, Rob Khedouri, traveled to Switzerland to meet with Buhl and Staudt. The trip ended with a walking tour of Zurich, where they spent the afternoon learning about Swiss history and connecting with each other.
A Hearty Laugh
When asked if EngFlow had made the trip to acquire tipi.build, Adams chuckled and declined to comment further. Buhl quickly jumped in to explain that the two companies discovered how they could complement each other during their meetings. "We were raising a round with VCs," he said, "And at some point, Ulf came and say ‘yeah, what you’re doing is very cool.’ They came here when we were checking which term sheet to choose and we saw that there was true synergy."
A Shared Synergy
Both companies recognize the importance of their collaboration. Tipi.build’s focus on CMake, C++, and native compile technology aligns perfectly with EngFlow’s expertise in cloud-based, distributed builds. By combining their efforts, they aim to accelerate the development process by bringing the parallelization of build forward.
CMake RE: A Game-Changer
Today, EngFlow and tipi.build are launching the first beta of a remote build execution service for CMake, CMake RE. This groundbreaking service takes advantage of tipi’s advanced caching and code parsing capabilities with automated dependency analysis and combines it with EngFlow’s expertise in cloud-based, distributed builds.
The result is a significant reduction in compile times, promising to speed up the process by around 10x. This means that individual developers can focus on writing code rather than waiting for hours for their laptops to compile large codebases.
A Promising Future
"We’re really amazed by what EngFlow and tipi.build have accomplished with this beta," said Hursh Agrawal, co-founder of The Browser Company. "As it matures, it has the promise of dramatically improving the productivity of teams building C and C++ code."
With $18M in new funding, EngFlow is poised to revolutionize the way developers work with build tools like Bazel, Goma, and Soong. This investment marks a significant milestone for both companies, as they embark on a journey to accelerate remote builds and improve developer productivity.
The Future of Build Acceleration
EngFlow’s investment in intipi.build is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter in build acceleration. As both companies continue to collaborate and innovate, we can expect to see significant advancements in the way developers work with CMake and other build tools.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as EngFlow and tipi.build push the boundaries of what’s possible in remote builds and developer productivity.