Notion productivity software

Notion is an all-in-one workspace application that provides components such as notes, databases, kanban boards, wikis, calendars, and reminders. The brand was founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last in San Francisco, California. After an initial struggle with their technology stack, the founders famously relocated to Kyoto, Japan, in 2015 to rebuild the software from scratch, a move that led to the successful launch of Notion 1.0 in 2016.

Today, Notion is owned and operated by Notion Labs, Inc., a private company headquartered in San Francisco. While it has received significant venture capital investment from firms like Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and Coatue Management—reaching a valuation of approximately $10 billion—the original founders maintain substantial ownership and leadership. The software is developed primarily in the United States, though the company maintains a global presence with offices in Dublin, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hyderabad to support its international user base.