Airtable Acquires Dopt to Strengthen AI Expertise

Acquisition Overview

Airtable has announced its acquisition of Dopt, a startup specializing in creating product onboarding experiences for new users. This strategic move, finalized late last month, will see the Dopt team integrate into Airtable’s AI division. Dopt’s service is set to cease operations on August 15.

AI Integration and Strategic Vision

Earlier this year, Dopt introduced several features enabling users to incorporate AI-based assistance tools into their services. These innovations caught Airtable’s attention and became the primary motivation behind the acquisition. Airtable co-founder and CEO Howie Liu explained to TechCrunch that this acquisition aligns with the company’s broader AI strategy.

Navigating Post-Pandemic Growth

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Airtable experienced a period of hyper-growth, followed by a deceleration that mirrored the trajectory of many startups. Despite this, Liu emphasized that Airtable has maintained continuous growth. Reflecting on this period, Liu stated, “Speaking from my own vantage point, it felt like a real kind of gear shift. Like it was a different mode. And I think it also kind of pushed us to really focus on what’s the strategy? What are the big bets that we want to make?”

Liu believes that being resource-constrained fosters a unique creativity, compelling companies to be innovative in resource allocation.

Airtable’s AI Ambitions

Airtable’s current strategic focus is on AI. Recently, the company introduced Airtable Cobuilder, a tool that enables users to create apps simply by describing them in a Copilot-like chat interface. Liu highlighted the significance of AI in simplifying software development, stating, “I think AI, to me, represents two things really: one is, it represents a way that you can make it even easier yet for people to build software. Like the Cobuilder launch – that was about lowering the floor. We literally did speculate about this back in the day: maybe, someday, we can actually offer a way for people to just talk to Airtable and it will build the app for you. We’re literally now here. I don’t think I expected it to get here so fast and for it to be so effective.”

Talent Acquisition and User Experience

Liu emphasized that acquiring Dopt is primarily about securing top talent. He expressed admiration for the Dopt team’s expertise in creating intuitive onboarding experiences for various companies. Within Airtable, the Dopt team will focus on enhancing AI capabilities and refining the user experience.

Financial Details and Background

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Before this exit, Dopt, based in Oakland, raised a $5.1 million seed round in 2022, with investments from Unusual Ventures, Designer Fund, and several angel investors.