Craft Founder Ilya Levtov Built Software Company Without Coding
Ilya Levtov, founder of the supply chain software company Craft, has never written a line of code. Despite this, he has built a successful venture-backed business that now serves 35 federal agencies and generates double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue.
Ilya Levtov, founder and CEO of Craft, a 12-year-old supply chain software company based in San Francisco, has never written a line of code. The company currently works with 35 federal agencies and reports double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue.
Levtov's path into technology was unconventional. He studied English literature at Columbia University and previously worked in finance at Goldman Sachs and as a venture capitalist at Venrock, before dedicating himself to entrepreneurship.
Levtov highlighted the challenges non-technical founders face, particularly in the early stages of product development. He noted that relying on external coders requires more time and resources compared to a technical founder who can develop the product themselves.
Despite these hurdles, Craft gained significant traction. The company's data profiles appeared in 100 million monthly search results, attracting approximately 2.25 million organic visitors. Craft raised a total of $42 million in funding.
The company's breakthrough came when Lockheed Martin recognized the potential of Craft's data for tracking supply chain changes, leading to their first enterprise contract. In 2020, the U.S. Air Force approached Craft to utilize its product for monitoring 300,000 companies within the defense industrial base.