Airtable Brings Onboard AI Expertise with Strategic Acquisition of Onboarding Startup Dopt

Airtable revealed its recent acquisition of Dopt, a company that specializes in crafting onboarding experiences for new users within startup products.

Dopt showcased a range of new features earlier in the year, incorporating AI tools into their offerings, a move that significantly influenced Airtable’s decision to purchase the startup. The acquisition was finalized in the latter part of the previous month, with plans to cease Dopt’s operations by August 15. Following this, the Dopt personnel will integrate with the AI department at Airtable.

In a conversation with TechCrunch, Howie Liu, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Airtable, shared insights into the acquisition’s alignment with the company’s AI strategy. Despite experiencing slowed growth post the early pandemic boom—a common trend among startups—Liu affirmed Airtable’s continuous expansion.

Liu reflected on the shift in operational dynamics post-pandemic, emphasizing the strategic reassessment this period necessitated. “It was almost like changing gears,” he remarked, highlighting the push towards defining Airtable’s strategic investments more clearly.

Liu posited that limitations in resources tend to spark innovation, compelling businesses to devise smart strategies around resource distribution.

For Airtable, the burgeoning field of AI signifies its latest venture. The company recently unveiled the Airtable Cobuilder, a platform that enables app creation through a conversational AI interface akin to a copilot.

“AI embodies both a novel way to simplify software development and a means to democratize it,” Liu expressed. He reminisced about early speculations within Airtable, envisioning a future where people could essentially instruct Airtable to autonomously generate applications. “That future is now,” he added, amazed by the rapid advancements and efficacy in this area.

Liu emphasized the talent acquisition aspect of the Dopt deal, expressing admiration for the team and acknowledging their niche expertise in user onboarding. He envisages the Dopt group enhancing Airtable’s future AI features and refining the overall user interface.

The financial details of the acquisition remain undisclosed. Dopt, headquartered in Oakland, previously secured $5.1 million in seed funding in 2022, with contributions from Unusual Ventures, Designer Fund, and several angel investors.