Notion Labs, Inc. was founded in 2013 in San Francisco by Ivan Zhao and his team of co-founders. The company's vision was to create a unified workspace that could replace multiple productivity tools with a single, flexible platform for note-taking, project management, and knowledge management.
The company launched Notion 1.0 in August 2016, followed by Notion 2.0 in March 2018. During these early years, the company operated with fewer than 10 employees, focusing on product development and building a loyal user base through word-of-mouth growth.
Notion reached its first major milestone in September 2019 when it announced 1 million users. This growth attracted investor attention, leading to the company's first major funding round in January 2020, when Index Ventures invested $50 million, valuing Notion at $2 billion.
The company experienced explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as remote work became mainstream. By October 2021, Notion had grown to 20 million users and raised $275 million in a funding round led by Coatue Management and Sequoia Capital, increasing its valuation to $10 billion.
In 2023, Notion launched its AI features, introducing artificial intelligence capabilities that could assist users with writing, summarizing notes, and querying information. The company continued its product expansion in 2025 with the release of Notion Mail, a Gmail-based email client with AI integration.
By September 2024, Notion had reached 100 million users, cementing its position as one of the leading productivity platforms globally. The company was featured in the Forbes AI 50 list in April 2025, recognizing its innovation in artificial intelligence integration.