$1.1 billion Airtable is turning admins into app developers

Airtable is a cloud-based workflow system that lets anyone—from intern to CEO—analyze data in a non-scary way. The six-year-old startup’s cult status and $1.1 billion valuation stem from how easily Airtable users can work with data to unlock insights, foster collaboration, and generate reports. In February 2018, the company introduced Blocks, a feature that provides noncoders a palette of options to create sophisticated custom applications for enhanced workflow. “Software as a medium is the next frontier of technology,” says cofounder Howie Liu. Air­table’s ease of use makes other cloud software, like Google Sheets, look stale—and it’s what has more than 90,000 businesses, from startups to huge enterprises, moving the beating heart of their companies onto Liu’s platform.