Postman

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Postman
Company typePrivate
IndustrySoftware development, SaaS
FoundedOctober 2014; 10 years ago (2014-10)
Founder
  • Abhinav Asthana
  • Ankit Sobti
  • Abhijit Kane
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U.S.,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Abhinav Asthana (CEO)
  • Ankit Sobti (CTO)
  • Abhijit Kane (Product Architect)
Products
  • Postman API Platform
  • Postman API Network
  • Flows
  • AI Agent Builder
RevenueUS$171 million (2023, estimated)
Number of employees
286 (2024)
Websitewww.postman.com

Postman is a software company that provides a cloud-based API development and management platform. Founded in 2014 in Bengaluru, India, by Abhinav Asthana, Ankit Sobti, and Abhijit Kane, Postman simplifies the process of designing, testing, and deploying APIs. The platform serves over 30 million developers and 500,000 organizations worldwide, including 98% of Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Bengaluru and Tokyo, Postman has grown into a leading tool for API-first development, offering features like automated testing, API documentation, and collaboration tools. The company has raised over $430 million in funding and was valued at $5.6 billion in 2021, making it one of the most valued Indian-origin SaaS startups.[1][2]

Founders & Leadership

  • Abhinav Asthana (CEO): A BITS Pilani graduate, Asthana founded Postman as a side project in 2012 while working at Yahoo! in Bengaluru. Frustrated by the lack of efficient API testing tools, he developed a Chrome extension that evolved into Postman. Asthana has led the company to a $5.6 billion valuation and is recognized for his contributions to API development.[3]
  • Ankit Sobti (CTO): Also a former Yahoo! employee and an NSIT Delhi graduate, Sobti joined Asthana to scale Postman’s technical infrastructure. His expertise in software architecture has been instrumental in developing Postman’s platform.[4]
  • Abhijit Kane (Product Architect): A BITS Pilani alumnus, Kane collaborated with Asthana and Sobti to transform Postman into a full-fledged business. His focus on product development has shaped Postman’s user-centric design.[5]

Timeline

Year Milestone
2012 Abhinav Asthana creates Postman as a Chrome extension to simplify API testing.[6]
2014 Postman, Inc. founded in Bengaluru by Asthana, Sobti, and Kane. Raises $1 million in seed funding from Nexus Venture Partners.[7]
2016 Raises $7 million in Series A funding from Nexus Venture Partners.[8]
2017 Moves headquarters to San Francisco to target global markets.[9]
2019 Raises $50 million in Series B funding led by CRV.[10]
2020 Raises $150 million in Series C funding at a $2 billion valuation.[11]
2021 Raises $225 million in Series D funding, reaching a $5.6 billion valuation.[12]
2023 Acquires Akita, an API observability solution.[13]
2024 Acquires Orbit, a developer community platform.[14]

Funding

Date Round Amount Investors
May 2015 Seed US$1 million Nexus Venture Partners[15]
2016 Series A US$7 million Nexus Venture Partners[16]
June 2019 Series B US$50 million CRV, Nexus Venture Partners[17]
June 2020 Series C US$150 million Insight Partners, CRV, Nexus Venture Partners[18]
August 2021 Series D US$225 million Insight Partners, Coatue, Battery Ventures, BOND, CRV, Nexus Venture Partners, Gokul Rajaram, Girish Mathrubootham[19]

Business Model

Postman operates on a freemium model, offering free access to basic API development and testing tools, while charging for advanced features through subscription plans. The company generates revenue through tiered pricing, with plans starting at $14 per month for individual users and scaling for enterprise customers. Postman targets developers, enterprises, and non-technical users such as sales and support teams. Its customer segments include Fortune 500 companies, startups, and individual developers. The platform’s collaborative features and integrations with tools like AWS, GitHub, and GitLab enhance its appeal. Postman also maintains a public API marketplace, enabling developers to discover and integrate APIs, further driving platform adoption.[20][21]

Products / Services

  • Postman API Platform: A comprehensive toolset for designing, testing, documenting, and deploying APIs, with features like automated testing and collaboration workspaces.[22]
  • Postman API Network: The world’s largest public API hub, hosting over 100,000 APIs for discovery and integration.[23]
  • Flows: A no-code tool for building API-driven workflows, enabling non-technical users to create API compositions.[24]
  • AI Agent Builder: A tool for creating AI-powered API solutions, addressing emerging needs in API development.[25]

Growth & Metrics

As of 2024, Postman serves over 30 million registered users and 500,000 organizations globally, including major corporations like Microsoft, PayPal, and Shopify. The company’s estimated revenue in 2023 was $171 million, with a reported valuation of $5.6 billion in 2021. Postman employs 286 people as of October 2024, a 10.9% decrease from the previous year. The platform’s user base has grown from 500,000 in 2014 to over 33 million by 2024, driven by its freemium model and widespread adoption in the developer community. Posts on X indicate revenue growth from $8 million in 2018 to $180 million in 2023.[26][27][28][29]

Legal Entity Information

Field Details
Legal Name Postdot Technologies Private Limited
Foundation Date October 2014
Registrar of Companies (ROC) ROC Bangalore
Corporate Identification Number (CIN) U72200KA2014PTC076678
Registered Address 201 Mission Street, Suite 2375, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA (HQ); Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Company Status Active
Directors Abhinav Asthana, Ankit Sobti, Abhijit Kane

[30]

Acquisitions and Investments

  • Akita (2023): Postman acquired Akita, an API observability solution, to enhance its platform’s monitoring capabilities.[31]
  • Orbit (2024): Postman acquired Orbit, a developer community platform, to improve API collaboration within developer networks.[32]

Media & Public Recognition

Postman has been recognized as a Visionary in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for API Management for three consecutive years.[33] The company has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Economic Times for its growth and valuation milestones.[34][35] In 2021, Postman was noted as the most valued Indian SaaS startup, surpassing BrowserStack.[36] Its Public API Network was recognized as the largest API hub globally in 2021.[37]

FAQs

What is Postman used for?
Postman is a platform for designing, testing, and managing APIs, enabling developers to streamline API development and collaboration.[38]
Who founded Postman?
Postman was founded by Abhinav Asthana, Ankit Sobti, and Abhijit Kane in 2014.[39]
What is Postman’s valuation?
Postman was valued at $5.6 billion in August 2021, though secondary deals in 2024 reported a 30-40% valuation discount.[40]
How does Postman generate revenue?
Postman uses a freemium model, offering free basic tools and charging for premium features through subscription plans starting at $14 per month.[41]

External Links

Related Startups

References

  1. ↑ "Postman 2025 Company Profile". PitchBook. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Postman funding: Postman becomes most valued Indian SaaS startup". The Economic Times. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "From UP to the US: The journey of Abhinav Asthana". YourStory. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Postman - Collaboration Platform for API Development". StartupTalky. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "Postman: From a side project to a million-dollar startup". The Economic Times. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "How We Built Postman—the Product and the Company". Postman Blog. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "Postman Company Profile". YourStory. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "From UP to the US: The journey of Abhinav Asthana". YourStory. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "From UP to the US: The journey of Abhinav Asthana". YourStory. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Postman raises $50 million to grow its API development platform". TechCrunch. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Postman delivers $150M Series C on $2B valuation". TechCrunch. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "API platform Postman valued at $5.6 billion". TechCrunch. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Postman - 2025 Company Profile". Tracxn. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Postman 2025 Company Profile". PitchBook. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Postman: From a side project to a million-dollar startup". The Economic Times. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "From UP to the US: The journey of Abhinav Asthana". YourStory. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "Postman raises $50 million to grow its API development platform". TechCrunch. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Postman delivers $150M Series C on $2B valuation". TechCrunch. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "API platform Postman valued at $5.6 billion". TechCrunch. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  20. ↑ "Report: Postman's Business Breakdown & Founding Story". Contrary Research. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  21. ↑ "Postman raises $50 million to grow its API development platform". TechCrunch. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  22. ↑ "About Postman". Postman. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  23. ↑ "The Rise & Rise Of Postman". Analytics India Magazine. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "API platform Postman valued at $5.6 billion". TechCrunch. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  25. ↑ "Postman". Forbes. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Postman - 2025 Company Profile". Tracxn. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "Postman 2025 Company Profile". PitchBook. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Postman". Forbes. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  29. ↑ @chagel (18 March 2024). "Postman revenue growth" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 May 2025 – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "Postman - 2025 Company Profile". Tracxn. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  31. ↑ "Postman - 2025 Company Profile". Tracxn. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Postman 2025 Company Profile". PitchBook. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  33. ↑ "Postman Named a Visionary in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant". Business Wire. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  34. ↑ "Postman". Forbes. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  35. ↑ "API platform Postman valued at $5.6 billion". TechCrunch. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  36. ↑ "Postman becomes most valued Indian SaaS startup". Business Insider India. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  37. ↑ "The Rise & Rise Of Postman". Analytics India Magazine. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  38. ↑ "About Postman". Postman. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  39. ↑ "Postman: From a side project to a million-dollar startup". The Economic Times. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  40. ↑ "Postman Strikes Secondary Deals With 30-40% Cut In Valuation". Inc42. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  41. ↑ "Postman raises $50 million to grow its API development platform". TechCrunch. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
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