Glean vs Notion: Founders, CEOs and History
Glean was founded in 2019 by Arvind Jain, T.R. Vishwanath, Piyush Prahladka and is led by Arvind Jain. Notion was founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao, Simon Last and is led by Ivan Zhao.
Company facts
Founders
Glean
Arvind Jain
Arvind Jain is a highly visionary tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of the massive enterprise AI search platform, Glean.
T.R. Vishwanath
T.R. Vishwanath is a brilliant technology executive and the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the massive enterprise AI search company, Glean.
Piyush Prahladka
Piyush Prahladka is a highly elite software engineer and a crucial co-founder of the massive enterprise AI search platform, Glean.
Tony Gentilcore
Tony Gentilcore is a highly prominent Silicon Valley software engineer and the co-founder and Product Engineering Lead of the massive enterprise AI platform, Glean. A legendary veteran of Google, Gentilcore spent over a decade heavily optimizing the web.
Notion
Ivan Zhao
Ivan Zhao is co-founder and CEO of Notion Labs. Inspired by computing pioneers such as Douglas Engelbart and Alan Kay, he started Notion in 2013 to let people without programming skills build their own tools.
Simon Last
Simon Last is Notion's co-founder and has been central to the product's engineering since the beginning, including the 2015 Kyoto rebuild that produced the block-based architecture Notion still uses.
CEOs and their tenures
Glean
- Arvind Jain2019–present
Founder & CEO
Led Glean from launch to $300 million ARR by May 2026.
Source
Notion
- Ivan Zhao2013–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Led the 2015 Kyoto rebuild, the 2018 Notion 2.0 breakout, the 2021 Series C at $10 billion, and the 2025-2026 shift to AI agents.
Source - Akshay Kothari2018–present
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Joined as co-founder and COO and built Notion's international expansion and go-to-market operations.
Source
Timeline: Glean and Notion side by side
2013Notion
Notion Labs Founded in San Francisco
Ivan Zhao and Simon Last founded Notion in San Francisco, inspired by computing pioneer Douglas Engelbart.
2015Notion
Near-Collapse & The Kyoto Rebuild Sprint
Facing imminent bankruptcy, Ivan Zhao and Simon Last moved to Kyoto, Japan, rebuilding Notion from scratch.
2016Notion
Launch of Notion 1.0 Block-Based Canvas
Released Notion 1.0 publicly, introducing the modular block-based document and wiki interface to wide acclaim.
2018Notion
Launch of Notion 2.0 with Relational Databases
Unveiled Notion 2.0, introducing multi-view databases (Kanban, calendar, table), igniting rapid viral growth.
2019Glean
Glean founded in Palo Alto by Arvind Jain, T.R. Vishwanath, Piyush Prahladka and Tony Gentilcore; $15 million Series A co-led by Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed.
2019Notion
Achieved Operating Profitability on $10M Seed Capital
Reached operational profitability with under 20 employees and $10M in total funding, a rarity in SaaS.
2020Notion
$50M Investment Led by Index Ventures at $2.0B Valuation
Raised $50 million led by Index Ventures, achieving unicorn status as global remote work adoption surged.
2021Glean
$40 million Series B led by General Catalyst (March); Glean exits stealth and launches its search product (September).
2021Notion
$275M Series C at $10.0B Valuation Led by Coatue and Sequoia
Raised $275 million led by Coatue and Sequoia at a $10 billion valuation; also acquired Automate.io.
2022Glean
$100 million Series C led by Sequoia Capital at a $1 billion valuation (May).
2022Notion
Acquisition of Cron & International Expansion to Japan
Acquired calendar app Cron and opened an official Tokyo office to serve its devoted Japanese community.
2023Notion
Public Launch of Notion AI Q&A Across All Workspaces
Debuted Notion AI Q&A, allowing users to query enterprise knowledge bases using conversational AI.
2024Glean
Series D of more than $200 million at $2.2 billion (February); $260 million Series E at $4.6 billion co-led by Altimeter and DST Global (September).
2025Glean
Passes $100 million ARR (early 2025); agent platform generally available (May); $150 million Series F at $7.2 billion led by Wellington Management (June); $200 million ARR (December).
2026Glean
Named No. 41 on the CNBC Disruptor 50 (May); reaches $300 million ARR (May).
2026Notion
Surpasses $500M Annualized Revenue and Launches AI Agents
Notion told CNBC in September 2025 that annualized revenue had passed $500 million as it launched Notion AI agents.
Acquisitions
Glean
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Glean vs Notion
Who is the CEO of Glean and Notion Labs, Inc.?
Glean is led by Arvind Jain and Notion Labs, Inc. is led by Ivan Zhao. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Glean founded vs Notion Labs, Inc.?
Notion Labs, Inc. was founded in 2013 — 6 years before Glean, which was founded in 2019. Notion Labs, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Glean.
How many employees does Glean have compared to Notion Labs, Inc.?
Glean employs approximately 1,000 people, while Notion Labs, Inc. employs approximately 1,000. Glean has the larger workforce at 1,000 employees, compared to Notion Labs, Inc.'s 1,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Glean and Notion Labs, Inc. headquartered?
Both Glean and Notion Labs, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Glean and Notion Labs, Inc.?
Glean was founded by Arvind Jain, T.R. Vishwanath, Piyush Prahladka, Tony Gentilcore. Notion Labs, Inc. was founded by Ivan Zhao, Simon Last.
Which company has a longer operating history — Glean or Notion Labs, Inc.?
Notion Labs, Inc. has been operating for approximately 13 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Glean has been in operation for around 7 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Glean vs Notion overview