What Zapier does
Zapier connects web applications so that an event in one app can trigger actions in others, with no code required. These automations are called Zaps. Zapier says its directory covers more than 9,000 apps and over 66,000 triggers and actions. Many of these connectors are built and maintained by the software vendors themselves on the Zapier Developer Platform.
Founding and early years
Wade Foster, Bryan Helmig, and Mike Knoop, all University of Missouri alumni, started Zapier as a side project in Columbia, Missouri in 2011. Y Combinator rejected their first application but accepted them on the second try. Zapier opened its public beta in May 2012, and the founders moved to Mountain View for the program. Later in 2012 they raised a seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners and DFJ, which Zapier puts at $1.3 million.
Growing without more funding
Zapier became profitable in 2014 and never raised another round. In January 2021, Sequoia Capital and Steadfast Financial bought shares from early investors at a $5 billion valuation. Foster said the founders did not sell. Zapier does not publish revenue. Forbes reported about $140 million in ARR for 2021, and later figures of around $310 million are outside estimates rather than company disclosures.
Products and the shift to AI
Beyond Zaps, Zapier now offers Tables (a no-code database), Interfaces (forms and simple apps), and Canvas (workflow diagrams). It launched Zapier Central for AI bots in 2024. In 2025, Zapier Agents replaced Central, and Zapier MCP let AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT run Zapier actions. Zapier has made four acquisitions: Makerpad (2021), Vowel (2024), NoCodeOps (2024), and Utopian Labs (2025).
Competition
Zapier competes with Make, n8n, Microsoft Power Automate, Workato, and IFTTT. Its main advantages are the size of its app catalog and how easy it is for non-engineers to use. Its main pressures come from automation bundled into larger software suites, self-hosted tools favored by engineering teams, and customers who object to task-based pricing as AI steps use up their task allowance.
