Notion is a productivity software platform that combines document management, project planning, knowledge base creation, and collaboration tools for individuals and teams. Developed by Notion Labs, Inc., which was founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao, Simon Last, and Akshay Kothari in San Francisco, California, Notion integrates a wide array of tools—such as writing, databases, calendars, email, and AI-powered content creation—into a single interface. Since its inception, it has gained popularity among both individual and corporate users, experiencing rapid user growth after going viral on social media platforms like TikTok in 2021.

Founding

Notion’s development began in the early 2010s and was formalized with the founding of Notion Labs, Inc. in 2013. Co-founder Ivan Zhao’s interest in personal productivity tools and information processing systems strongly influenced the platform’s core vision. Initially adopted by a small user base, Notion grew rapidly due to its flexible structure, attracting a diverse audience including software developers, content creators, corporate teams, students, and academics. Especially after 2020, it drew the attention of major investors such as Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and Coatue, raising over $330 million in funding. By 2025, Notion surpassed a $10 billion valuation and 100 million users globally.

Core Features

Notion’s user interface is based on a block structure, allowing users to embed and flexibly manage elements such as text, tables, images, checklists, headings, code snippets, links, and embedded media on a single page. Each element is individually editable and movable, and pages can be linked to one another. Users can create unlimited nested pages and organize content hierarchically.

Notion provides ready-made templates such as weekly planners and habit trackers for personal use, and OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), task boards, team wikis, and sprint tables for more complex workflows in organizations.

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Pages can be viewed as tables, lists, galleries, calendars, timelines, or kanban boards, making it easier to organize and filter information. Users can collaborate in real time, leave comments, or assign permissions for viewing, commenting, or editing.

Notion AI

Introduced in 2023, Notion AI integrates generative AI capabilities directly into the platform. It assists with writing, editing, summarizing, listing, transforming content, and answering questions. The system is powered by large language models (LLMs) from providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Notion AI does not use user data for model training and applies end-to-end encryption. It is compliant with data privacy regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.

Notion Mail and Notion Calendar

Notion Mail, introduced recently, aims to optimize email management through AI. Integrated with Gmail, it categorizes emails, highlights important messages based on user instructions, suggests replies using templates, and helps manage scheduling. Its purpose is to customize inboxes and automatically filter out unimportant messages.

Notion Calendar integrates time and meeting management into the platform. Users can sync personal and work calendars, share availability with colleagues, generate meeting links, and connect events to specific Notion pages.

Project and Knowledge Management

Notion supports flexible project management through kanban boards, timelines, and task lists. Teams can assign responsibilities, track progress visually, and enrich each task with documents, comments, media, and links.

For internal knowledge management, Notion enables the creation of wiki-style documentation. Teams can store process documents, technical guides, company policies, and reference materials centrally. The Synced Blocks feature allows content to be mirrored across multiple locations. Enterprise features include version history, page verification, and content approval workflows.

Security and Compliance

Notion is designed to meet international standards for data security and compliance. It holds certifications such as SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, HIPAA, and BSI C5. User data is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher. Enterprise plans offer SSO (Single Sign-On) via SAML 2.0, SCIM for user provisioning, audit logs, domain management, and advanced access controls.

Use Cases

Notion is used across diverse business functions including software engineering, design, product management, marketing, HR, and operations. It integrates directly with third-party tools like Slack, GitHub, Figma, Google Drive, Amplitude, and Jira, and connects to thousands of automation workflows through Zapier and Make. This allows users to automate tasks, send updates, and sync with other systems without writing code.

Future Outlook

Strategically, Notion aims to evolve from a productivity tool into a digital “second brain” for users. Its expanding AI capabilities are designed to make Notion a central hub for accessing organizational knowledge. Future developments are expected to include deeper synchronization with external platforms like Slack, Salesforce, and Google Workspace, allowing teams to consolidate their information infrastructure in one place. Notion is also advancing toward low-code/no-code application development and enhanced automation features to further broaden its functional scope.