Diffblue Explained

Diffblue Ltd is a spin-out from University of Oxford whose Cover product uses AI to automatically write unit tests for Java code.^[1] It is similar to GitHub Copilot in that it uses AI to write code, but differs in that it writes code fully autonomously vs. providing code suggestions for humans to review and edit. Diffblue was founded by Daniel Kroening and Peter Schrammel in 2016,^[2] and Mathew Lodge became CEO in July 2019^[3]

In 2017, Diffblue raised £17.3 million in Series A funding led by Goldman Sachs and Oxford Sciences Innovation.^[4] In 2020, Diffblue released a freeware version, Cover Community Edition. It can be used by both open source and commercial organisations.^[5] Diffblue raised $7m in January 2022 in a round led by venture capitalist IP Group,^[6] and a further $8m in November 2022 in a round led by AlbionVC.^[7]

Diffblue customers include Goldman Sachs, S&P Global, Citi, JP Morgan and AWS.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: How Diffblue uses AI to automate unit testing for Java applications. 2021-05-31. TechRepublic. 8 September 2020 . en.
2. Web site: University of Oxford spin-out Diffblue allows developers to experience AI for Code for free. 2021-05-31. Bdaily Business News. 25 February 2019 . en.
3. Web site: Interview with Mathew Lodge, CEO Diffblue. 2022-01-10. Erevana. 17 November 2020 . en.
4. Web site: Ghosh. Shona. An Oxford University artificial intelligence startup has raised £17 million to check code for errors. 2021-05-31. Business Insider. en-US.
5. Web site: 2021-05-24. Diffblue EULA for Community Edition IntelliJ Plugin. 2021-05-31. Diffblue Docs. en.
6. Web site: Diffblue Closes Investment Round to Take Total Venture Funding to $32 Million. IP Group. en-uk.
7. Web site: Glen. Sephanie. Diffblue expands AI-powered unit testing platform. 2023-01-20. TechTarget. en-US.
8. Web site: Diffblue launches a free community edition of its automated Java unit testing tool. 2021-05-31. TechCrunch. en-US.