SaaSpocalypse Sees Software Providers Pivot to a ‘SaiS’ Model
The Australian Financial Review
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Details
- Date Published
- 30 Mar 2026
- Priority Score
- 3
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 30 Mar 2026, 06:00 am
Description
The SaaSpocalypse has hurt all software companies, but leading players now want to be defined as AI specialists and convince investors they have a future.
Summary
This article examines how rapid advancements in frontier AI coding capabilities from entities like Anthropic are disrupting the business models of major Australian software firms like SafetyCulture and Canva. The emergence of 'vibe-coding'—where AI allows users to generate complex software without traditional engineering—poses a transformative threat to current software-as-a-service ecosystems, forcing a shift toward AI-native integration. While primarily focused on economic disruption, the piece highlights how the lowering of barriers to high-level software creation represents a significant leap in frontier AI capability, requiring urgent adaptation from governance and industry leaders.
Body
TechnologyAIPrint articlePaul SmithTechnology editorMar 30, 2026 – 4.00pmThe chief executive of one of Australia’s largest private software companies, SafetyCulture, says new artificial intelligence coding abilities have transformed the way it builds products, as one of the firm’s biggest investors, Blackbird Ventures, conceded start-ups in its portfolio were scrambling to adapt to the AI era.Luke Anear retook the reins as chief executive of SafetyCulture in February amid a global meltdown in software company valuations – known as the SaaSpocalypse – caused by investor fears that tools from AI giants such as Anthropic would let everyday people “vibe-code” their own apps.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreAISoftwareVenture capitalCanvaXeroAnthropicAtlassianGoogleElon MuskChinaLinkedInOpenAIInnovationFetching latest articles