In a milestone acquisition, Zapier, renowned for providing no-code automation tools, has announced the purchase of Makerpad, a platform dedicated to no-code education and fostering a vibrant community. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
As a major player in the no-code domain, Zapier has earned widespread attention since its inception, including coverage by TechCrunch and a remarkable fundraising round in 2012. The company's growth has been exponential, with more expensive service tiers, team-centered features, and a remote-only team scaling strategy. Zapier's CEO, Wade Foster, revealed that the company now boasts over 400 employees and surpassed the $100 million ARR mark last year.
This acquisition marks Zapier's first venture into the no-code education realm, expanding its offerings and reach within the rapidly growing no-code and low-code markets. Makerpad founder Ben Tossell disclosed that the company would continue to operate as a standalone entity, focusing on its vision of educating users on the possibilities of building applications without writing code.
Foster expressed his confidence in Makerpad's goals and intends to allow the platform to function independently while adhering to a set of editorial guidelines. The acquisition aims to empower the no-code community and facilitate growth beyond what Makerpad could independently achieve.
Interestingly, a single tweet set the acquisition's wheels in motion. Upon reading the tweet, Foster reached out to Tossell, leading to discussions and finalizing the deal. Both companies have observed rapid growth in recent quarters, with Zapier experiencing substantial adoption by small businesses amid the pandemic-induced digital transformation. In line with this, Makerpad's user base has expanded by four-fold in the past year.
The acquisition offers mutual benefits to both companies, with Zapier gaining a supportive community that could potentially attract more users to its service and indirectly expand the no-code movement. The ever-evolving no-code and low-code sectors have witnessed significant activity in recent months, with no-code tools such as AppMaster enabling users to develop impressive web, backend and mobile applications with ease.
In addition to low-code solutions gaining traction among large corporations, small businesses are increasingly adopting no-code tools to streamline their development process. As these two categories merge, offering more sophisticated and advanced functionality, remarkable potential awaits in the no-code and low-code movements.
