Miro vs Notion: Founders, CEOs and History
Miro was founded in 2011 by Andrey Khusid, Oleg Shardin and is led by Andrey Khusid. Notion was founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao, Simon Last and is led by Ivan Zhao.
Company facts
Founders
Miro
Andrey Khusid
Andrey Khusid co-founded RealtimeBoard in 2011 and has led it as CEO ever since, taking it from an agency side project to a global company rebranded as Miro in 2019.
Oleg Shardin
Oleg Shardin co-founded RealtimeBoard (now Miro) with Andrey Khusid in 2011 and helped build the early product and company. He is credited as co-founder in Miro's official materials.
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
Miro
- Andrey Khusid2011–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Co-founded RealtimeBoard in 2011, led the 2019 Miro rebrand, raised $475M+ in venture funding including the 2022 Series C at a $17.5B valuation, and negotiated the 2026 sale to Bending Spoons.
Source - Oleg Shardin2011–present
Co-Founder
Co-founded the company with Andrey Khusid and helped build the original online whiteboard product.
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: Miro and Notion side by side
2011Miro
RealtimeBoard Founded
Andrey Khusid and Oleg Shardin founded RealtimeBoard in Perm, Russia.
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.
2018Miro
$25M Series A Led by Accel
Raised $25 million led by Accel to expand internationally.
2018Notion
Launch of Notion 2.0 with Relational Databases
Unveiled Notion 2.0, introducing multi-view databases (Kanban, calendar, table), igniting rapid viral growth.
2019Miro
Rebrands to Miro
Renamed from RealtimeBoard to Miro, after the artist Joan Miró.
2019Notion
Achieved Operating Profitability on $10M Seed Capital
Reached operational profitability with under 20 employees and $10M in total funding, a rarity in SaaS.
2020Miro
$50M Series B Led by ICONIQ Growth
Raised $50 million as remote work drove rapid user growth.
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.
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.
2022Miro
$400M Series C at $17.5B Valuation
Raised $400 million in January 2022 led by ICONIQ Growth.
2022Miro
Exit from Russia; Around Acquired
Stopped operating in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and acquired video startup Around.
2022Notion
Acquisition of Cron & International Expansion to Japan
Acquired calendar app Cron and opened an official Tokyo office to serve its devoted Japanese community.
2023Miro
Layoffs of 119 Roles
Cut about 7% of full-time staff as growth slowed.
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.
2024Miro
Uizard Acquired; 275 Roles Cut
Bought AI prototyping tool Uizard and later cut about 275 roles in a second restructuring.
2026Miro
Bending Spoons Agrees to Acquire Miro
All-cash deal at a $1.355B enterprise value announced September 10, 2026; closing expected Q4 2026.
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
Questions about Miro vs Notion
Who is the CEO of Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) and Notion Labs, Inc.?
Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) is led by Andrey Khusid 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 Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) founded vs Notion Labs, Inc.?
Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) was founded in 2011 — 2 years before Notion Labs, Inc., which was founded in 2013. Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.)'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Notion Labs, Inc..
How many employees does Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) have compared to Notion Labs, Inc.?
Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) employs approximately 1,600 people, while Notion Labs, Inc. employs approximately 1,000. Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) has the larger workforce at 1,600 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 Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) and Notion Labs, Inc. headquartered?
Both Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) and Notion Labs, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) and Notion Labs, Inc.?
Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) was founded by Andrey Khusid, Oleg Shardin. Notion Labs, Inc. was founded by Ivan Zhao, Simon Last.
Which company has a longer operating history — Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) or Notion Labs, Inc.?
Miro (RealtimeBoard Inc.) has been operating for approximately 15 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Notion Labs, Inc. has been in operation for around 13 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 Miro vs Notion overview