Consulting firm Bain & Company is leveraging vibecoding to create AI-generated replicas of software used in potential acquisitions, helping buyers evaluate the ease of replicating a target company's technology. The practice, which began in 2023 with a dedicated engineering team, has expanded to hundreds of prototypes now built by regular consultants. These replicas are shaping real-world deal outcomes, with one private equity investor citing a Bain-vibecoded recreation of an analytics platform as a key factor in their decision to withdraw from a bid. According to the Financial Times, the AI-generated models are designed to show potential buyers how difficult it would be to reproduce a target company's technology. As the cost of building software declines rapidly, this assessment is becoming increasingly critical. The mock-ups also help gauge how a product might evolve, allowing firms to determine whether the code itself is the defensible part of a business or something else. Rebecca Burack, head of Bain's global private equity practice, described vibecoding as the difference between seeing something in 2D versus 3D. She explained that the firm uses the technique to understand what a software company can and cannot do, where it fits in the value chain, and whether the code is truly its competitive advantage.
Source: thedecoder
