Windsurf Launches SWE-1: A Frontier AI Model Family Built for the Full Software Engineering Lifecycle

• The model suite delivers frontier-class performance across real-world developer workflows while maintaining startup-level speed and efficiency.
• Each model is purpose-built to support the entire engineering lifecycle – not just coding – operating across multiple surfaces, incomplete work, and long-running tasks.
• With three specialized models, SWE-1’s trajectory is designed to accelerate software development within Windsurf by up to 99%.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Windsurf, the company transforming how software is built, today announced the launch of SWE-1, its first family of proprietary AI models designed to accelerate the entire software engineering process, not just code generation. The SWE-1 family includes three models optimized for different workflows and user tiers, and marks Windsurf’s entry into frontier model development with performance competitive to foundational models for software-relevant tasks.

“Writing code is only a fraction of what engineers do,” said Varun Mohan, CEO and co-founder of Windsurf. “To truly accelerate software development by 99%, we had to move beyond ‘coding-capable’ models and build software engineering-native models. SWE-1 is our first step in that direction, building a foundation for the future state.”

Meet the SWE-1 Family:

• SWE-1: Windsurf’s full-size model, built for advanced reasoning and tool use. Available for unlimited use to all paid users.
• SWE-1-lite: A smaller but powerful model that replaces Cascade Base, now available for unlimited use to all users, free and paid.
• SWE-1-mini: A lightweight model powering Windsurf Tab, designed for fast, passive code prediction, now unlimited to all free and paid users.

Powered by Flow Awareness

SWE-1 was made possible through Windsurf’s core design principle: flow awareness, the ability for humans and AI to operate on a shared timeline. This deep integration between the Windsurf Editor and its models allows seamless, context-aware collaboration and sets the foundation for continuously improving model performance at scale.

“Flow awareness lets us see exactly where models succeed or fail, down to the individual decision point. That feedback loop is our competitive edge,” said Anshul Ramachandran, Founding Team.

With a continuous stream of user feedback, Windsurf has been steadily building the richest representation of a shared timeline for software engineering work. SWE-1 is the initial proof of concept for understanding a true end-to-end timeline.

What’s next

While SWE-1 represents Windsurf’s first venture into frontier model development, it won’t be the last, and it is a testament to what can be achieved with a small engineering team and a limited scope of compute. The company plans to invest aggressively in SWE models and intends on rapidly expanding its machine learning research team going forward.

Developers can begin using the SWE-1 model family with the Windsurf Editor by visiting windsurf.com today.

About Windsurf:

Windsurf is a generative AI-powered software development platform helping engineers move faster, reduce technical debt, and build with greater confidence. With code-native models and flow-aware tools, Windsurf integrates seamlessly into existing workflows to enable higher-quality engineering at scale.