Wix
Company History
Wix History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2006 in Tel Aviv, Israel
When was Wix founded?
Wix was founded in 2006 in Tel Aviv, Israel by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan, making it 20 years old.
- Founded
- 2006
- Founding place
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Founders
- Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan
- Headquarters today
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Milestones documented
- 10 (2006–2026)
- Current CEO
- Avishai Abrahami
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Wix founded |
| 2012 | HTML5 editor released |
| 2013 | Nasdaq IPO |
| 2014 | OpenRest Acquired |
| 2016 | Wix ADI Launched |
| 2017 | DeviantArt acquired |
| 2020 | Editor X Launched |
| 2023 | Wix Studio launched |
| 2025 | Base44 acquired |
| 2026 | Restructuring and guidance cut |
- Where was Wix founded?
- Wix was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2006.
- Who founded Wix?
- Wix was founded by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan.
- When did Wix start?
- Wix was founded in 2006.
- How old is Wix?
- Wix is 20 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Avishai Abrahami, his brother Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan started Wix in Israel in 2006. They found that building a website still required coding skills, and they set out to make a visual builder that anyone could use. The first editor was built on Adobe Flash. As mobile browsers dropped Flash support, Wix released an HTML5 editor in 2012, and it went public on Nasdaq in November 2013.
Founders
Avishai Abrahami
Avishai Abrahami co-founded Wix in 2006 and has been its CEO since. He led the company through its 2013 Nasdaq IPO and, more recently, its shift toward AI products, including the 2025 purchase of Base44 and the 2026 restructuring. Avishai Abrahami was born in 1971. Abrahami was born on May 3, 1971. He is a software developer and investor as well as chief executive of Wix.
Nadav Abrahami
Nadav Abrahami co-founded Wix in 2006. As the critical core technical architect, he built the incredibly complex early Flash-based drag-and-drop interface, absolutely revolutionizing how small business owners built websites without knowing a single line of code, before successfully transitioning the entire massive platform to HTML5. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Giora Kaplan
Giora Kaplan co-founded Wix in 2006. A brilliant visionary with a deep obsession for user interface design, he fiercely drove the absolutely critical requirement that Wix templates must look incredibly beautiful and professional out-of-the-box, ensuring users didn't create ugly websites that damaged the platform's brand. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Wix founded
Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan start Wix to make website building possible without code.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgOpenRest Acquired
Wix bought the restaurant-ordering company OpenRest in 2014.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWix ADI Launched
Wix launched Wix ADI, an artificial-intelligence website builder, in 2016.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDeviantArt acquired
Wix buys the online artist community DeviantArt for about $36 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgEditor X Launched
Wix launched Editor X, a design tool for agencies and professionals, in 2020.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWix Studio launched
Wix launches Wix Studio, a platform for agencies and freelance web professionals.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBase44 acquired
Wix buys the AI app builder Base44 for $80 million in cash, plus earn-outs through 2029.
Source: techcrunch.comRestructuring and guidance cut
Wix cuts about 20% of its workforce and lowers its 2026 revenue and bookings outlook.
Source: calcalistech.comMajor Acquisitions
DeviantArt
2017Added a large online community of artists and designers.
Base44
2025Acquired a prompt-based AI app builder that had launched about six months earlier.
OpenRest
2014Wix bought OpenRest, a maker of online ordering systems for restaurants, in 2014.
Modalyst
2021Wix acquired Modalyst in 2021.
Keep researching Wix
Wix Company History FAQ
When and where was Wix founded?
Wix was founded in 2006 in Tel Aviv, Israel, by developers and entrepreneurs Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan.
What inspired the founders to create Wix?
While attempting to build a website for another startup, the founders found web design so complicated, expensive, and frustrating that they decided to build a platform that would allow anyone to create a website visually without code.
How did Wix survive the decline of Adobe Flash?
Wix originally built its visual editor on Adobe Flash, but recognized the mobile shift early and executed a complete platform rebuild in 2012, transitioning all user websites to HTML5 ahead of Flash's obsolescence.
When did Wix complete its initial public offering (IPO)?
Wix went public on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol WIX in November 2013, raising $127 million and becoming one of the largest Israeli technology IPOs of the decade.
What was Wix ADI launched in 2016?
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) was an early AI website creator that automatically generated customized website layouts, content, and imagery based on a series of basic user questions.
What is Wix Studio launched in 2023?
Wix Studio is Wix's flagship platform designed specifically for professional web design agencies, developers, and enterprises, offering responsive CSS control, custom JavaScript coding, and multi-designer workspaces.
How has Wix integrated Generative AI into its editor?
Wix introduced an end-to-end AI Site Generator, AI text and image tools, AI code assistants, and automated responsive design styling, allowing users to build complete customized sites in minutes.
How many registered users does Wix have worldwide?
Wix has grown to more than 250 million registered users across 190 countries, powering millions of live commercial, personal, and agency client websites.
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