Airplane.dev acquired by Airtable
This blog post covers the recent acquisition of Airplane.dev by Airtable and its implications to existing customers.
Netzo redefines business app development, offering speed without compromising flexibility.
In a surprising turn of events, Airplane.dev, a prominent developer platform specializing in internal tools, has been acquired by Airtable.
The Airplane.dev story
Airplane.dev was founded by Ravi Parikh and Joshua Ma in December 2020 and publicly launched later in July 2021. They set out to build a developer platform that would enable technical teams to build custom internal tools such ad dashboards, backend operation and long-term running processes with minimal code. To date, Airplane.dev has raised $40.5 million in funding from several prominent investors, including Thrive Capital and Benchmark enabling them to quickly grow.
The unfolding scenario
Despite celebrating a successful Series B funding round in September 2022, the exact circumstances leading to Airplane.dev's acquisition remain unclear. It appears that challenges arose in translating the platform's visionary goals into sustainable growth.
While specifics about Airplane.dev's financial evolution post the Series B funding round are still elusive, the acquisition by Airtable has ignited discussions. Speculation centers around the company's financial dynamics, with hints that challenges may have arisen from significant cash burn relative to its modest Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Although concrete financial details are undisclosed, industry leaders have shed light on potential fiscal discrepancies.
In a HackerNews post, David HSU, CEO of Retool, suggests that Airplane.dev might have grappled with profitability and encountered hurdles in efficient hiring.
Implications for customers
The Airtable takeover means tough times for Airplane.dev users. The platform is closing its doors on March 1, 2024, leaving customers in a bind. The sudden stop of Airplane.dev's service will have users rushing to find other options. Plus, it might make buyers think twice before relying on a startup for mission-cricital tools, worrying about their reliability and long-term availability.
How can Netzo help?
Wondering about alternatives after Airplane.dev's closure? Enter Netzo, a developer platform much like Airplane.dev, empowering technical teams to create custom internal tools with minimal code. The key difference? Netzo utilizes open web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for tool creation. This not only sidesteps vendor lock-in but also reduces the risk associated with depending on a startup for crucial tools. With Netzo, the logic you build is easily transferable, giving you flexibility and peace of mind for seamless deployment elsewhere.
If you are an Airplane.dev customer, we are ready to help you migrate your tools to Netzo. If you need urgent assistance, please contact [email protected]. We will be happy to help you.