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Linear helps developers streamline software projects, sprints, tasks and bug tracking without hampering progress.
Linear has raised $135.3M across 5 funding rounds.
Key people at Linear.
Linear was founded in 2019 by Karri Saarinen (Founder) and Tuomas Artman (Founder) and Jori Lallo (Founder).
Linear has raised $135.3M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Linear is a purpose-built tool for planning and building products, designed to streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps for modern software development.
Linear was founded in 2019 by Karri Saarinen (Founder) and Tuomas Artman (Founder) and Jori Lallo (Founder).
Linear has raised $135.3M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Linear's investors include Accel, 01 Advisors, 1984 Ventures, 20VC, AirAngels, Alumni Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Coinbase Ventures, FJ Labs, Haun Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, LGF.
Key people at Linear.
Linear is a design-focused issue-tracking and project management platform built for modern software development teams.[1] The company has positioned itself as a contemporary alternative to legacy tools like Jira, offering a streamlined, developer-centric approach to managing software projects, sprints, tasks, and bug tracking.[2] Rather than imposing rigid processes, Linear removes procedural bloat by creating software that engineers actually want to use—emphasizing speed, simplicity, and elegant design as core product principles.[1]
The platform serves engineering and product organizations across the spectrum, from early-stage startups to enterprise-grade companies, with over 60 large software companies listed as customers including Vercel, Ramp, and Retool.[1] Linear's mission extends beyond providing a better tool; the company frames itself as enabling a better way to build software by helping teams focus on craftsmanship and quality rather than administrative overhead.[4] The company operates as a fully remote organization distributed across North America and Europe, with a small but focused team united by relentless execution and attention to detail.[4]
Linear was founded in 2019 by three Silicon Valley veterans: Karri Saarinen (CEO), Jori Lallo (Chief Product Officer), and Tuomas Artman (Chief Technology Officer), all of whom brought experience from elite technology companies including Uber, Airbnb, and Coinbase.[3] The founding team's frustration with existing project management tools—which had become bloated and counterintuitive—sparked the vision to build something fundamentally different.[4]
The company's early traction came organically through the founders' networks. Initial adopters were friends working at small tech startups who appreciated Linear's opinionated design, speed, and focus on the developer experience.[1] This grassroots adoption proved the product-market fit thesis: engineers preferred a tool built specifically for them, without the need for dedicated scrum masters or rigid Agile frameworks.[1] The early success led to a waitlist and subsequent expansion into enterprise capabilities, transforming what began as a simple issue tracker into a comprehensive product development platform.[1] Sequoia Capital partnered with Linear in 2019, recognizing the founding team's deep understanding of engineer pain points and their ability to execute at speed.[2]
Linear's most visible differentiator is its obsessive focus on user experience and speed. The platform is built around what the company calls "The Linear Method"—a set of principles designed to enable high-quality software creation.[1] Unlike competitors that prioritize feature breadth, Linear prioritizes elegance and performance, making the tool fast enough that engineers want to spend time in it rather than avoid it.[1]
The platform is engineered for engineers themselves, not for project managers or scrum masters. This design choice eliminates unnecessary intermediaries and process layers, allowing technical teams to self-organize around Linear's workflows.[1] The tool supports engineers, designers, and product managers working together as a cohesive ecosystem, but with engineers as the primary user in mind.[1]
Linear is built on a high-performance architecture with a proprietary Sync Engine, enterprise-grade security, and infrastructure engineered for scale.[5] The platform combines sophisticated backend technology with a deceptively simple interface, allowing it to handle everything from early-stage startups to global enterprises without compromising speed or reliability.[5]
Beyond basic issue tracking, Linear offers visual planning tools, real-time analytics dashboards, custom workflows, and AI-assisted product operations through features like Triage Intelligence.[5] The platform integrates deeply with Slack, allowing teams to receive updates and create issues directly within their communication channels.[6] Recent additions include a Linear agent for Slack, extending the platform's reach into team workflows.[5]
By focusing on simplicity and speed, Linear has made modern project management accessible to smaller teams that might have previously found Jira prohibitively complex or expensive.[1]
Linear represents a broader shift in developer tooling toward developer experience (DX) as a competitive moat. The company is riding the wave of dissatisfaction with legacy enterprise software that prioritizes feature completeness over usability. As software development has become faster, more distributed, and more central to business value, the tools developers use have become increasingly important to productivity and retention.
The timing has been particularly favorable for Linear. The rise of remote-first companies, the acceleration of software delivery cycles, and the growing influence of engineers in technology purchasing decisions have all created tailwinds for a tool that prioritizes developer happiness.[2] Linear's success has also influenced the broader market—competitors have begun emphasizing speed and design in response, effectively validating Linear's thesis that the old Jira model was ripe for disruption.
Beyond its direct market impact, Linear has become a reference point for how modern B2B SaaS should be built. The company's backing by exceptional founders and product builders—including Dylan Field (Figma), Patrick Collison (Stripe), Stewart Butterfield (Slack), and Guillermo Rauch (Vercel)—signals that Linear represents a new standard for developer tools.[4] This network effect amplifies Linear's influence; as these founders' companies integrate with or recommend Linear, the platform becomes embedded in the workflows of high-performing teams across the ecosystem.
Linear has successfully challenged the assumption that project management software must be complex, feature-heavy, and difficult to use. By building for developers rather than managers, the company has created a product with genuine staying power and expansion potential. The company's $52.2 million in total funding, including a recent $35 million round, reflects investor confidence in both the market opportunity and the team's execution.[6]
Looking forward, Linear's trajectory will likely be shaped by several forces. First, the integration of AI into product development workflows—already evident in features like Triage Intelligence—will become increasingly central to the platform's value proposition. Second, as Linear moves upmarket into larger enterprises, the company will need to balance its design-first philosophy with the customization and compliance demands of Fortune 500 organizations. Third, the competitive landscape will intensify as both legacy players and new entrants recognize the opportunity in modern developer tooling.
The deeper question for Linear is whether it can maintain its cultural commitment to simplicity and craftsmanship as it scales. History suggests this is difficult; many tools that began as elegant alternatives to bloated incumbents eventually became bloated themselves. However, Linear's founding team's background, the company's remote-first structure, and its explicit values around quality suggest the company is aware of this risk and committed to avoiding it.
Linear's influence on the broader tech ecosystem will likely extend beyond its direct market share. By demonstrating that developers will pay for tools that respect their time and intelligence, Linear has helped establish a new standard for what "good" developer tooling looks like—one that prioritizes craft, speed, and user experience over feature checklists. In this sense, Linear is not just a company; it's a signal about the future of how software gets built.
Linear has raised $135.3M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $82.0M Series C in June 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2025 | $82.0M Series C | Accel | 01 Advisors, 1984 Ventures, 20VC, AirAngels, Alumni Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Coinbase Ventures, FJ Labs, Haun Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, LGF, Liquid 2 Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, NEO, Next47, Hans Tung, Sequoia Capital, Tusk Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Akash Garg, Amjad Masad, Aston Motes, Bobby Goodlatte, Charlie Cheever, Christina Cacioppo, Claire Hughes Johnson, Dylan Field, Immad Akhund, Jeff Chang, Julia DeWahl, Koen Bok, Lauren Loktev, Marc McCabe, Robert Gentz, Ron Pragides, Ryan Sarver, Ryan Tedder, Stewart Butterfield, Tikhon Bernstam, Ilkka Paananen, Jeff Weinstein, Vlad Loktev, Designer Fund, Seven Seven Six |
| Sep 1, 2023 | $35.0M Series B | Accel | 01 Advisors, 1984 Ventures, 20VC, Abstract Ventures, Kevin Hartz, Adverb Ventures, AirAngels, Alt Capital, Alumni Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, AngelList Syndicator, Jana Messerschmidt, Awesome People Ventures, Rexhep Dollaku, BlueRun Ventures, C2 Investment, CapitalX, Coalition Operators, Coinbase Ventures, Craft Ventures, Cusp Capital Partners, Eight Roads Ventures, FirstMark Capital, FJ Labs, Framework Ventures, Greylock, Haun Ventures, Index Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, Khosla Ventures, LGF, Liquid 2 Ventures, Logos Labs, Long Journey Ventures, MATR Ventures, Mayfield, Meritech Capital Partners, NEO, Next47, NextView Ventures, Hans Tung, Not Boring Capital, Pantera Capital, Paradigm, Polychain Capital, Primary Venture Partners, Prototype Capital, rocketship.vc, SciFi VC, Seed Club Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Sweater Ventures, TSVC Capital, Tusk Venture Partners, XFactor Ventures, Y Combinator, Aaron Levie, Akash Garg, Amjad Masad, Arash Ferdowsi, Aston Motes, Balaji Srinivasan, Bobby Goodlatte, Charlie Cheever, Christian Reber, Christina Cacioppo, Claire Hughes Johnson, Cristina Cordova, Dylan Field, Fareed Mosavat, Frederic Kerrest, Gokul Rajaram, Guillermo Rauch, Immad Akhund, Jan Deepen, Jarl Mohn, Jawed Karim, Jeff Chang, Job Van Der Voort, John Collison, Johnny Boufarhat, Julia DeWahl, Julia Hartz, Julian Shapiro, Justin David Blau, Koen Bok, Lauren Loktev, Marc McCabe, Mark Cuban, Martin Sinner, Mathilde Collin, Paul Yacoubian, Robert Gentz, Ron Pragides, Ryan Sarver, Ryan Tedder, Scott Banister, Scott Belsky, Shayne Coplan, Siqi Chen, Stefan Jeschonnek, Stewart Butterfield, Tikhon Bernstam, Tobias Lutke, Kyle Parrish, Marianne Vikkula, Oskari Saarenmaa, Pia Henrietta Kekäläinen, Rudi Skogman, Andrew Mason, Anssi Rusi, Cal Henderson, Ganesh Srinivasan, Gavin Weigh, Ilkka Paananen, Jorn van Dijk, Josh Miller, Kenneth Auchenberg 🛠, Kristo Ovaska, Krithika Muthukumar, Praveen Neppalli Naga, Akash Garg |
| Dec 1, 2020 | $13.0M Series A | Sequoia Capital | 01 Advisors, 10X Capital, 1984 Ventures, 20VC, 2.12 Angels, Accel, Adverb Ventures, AirAngels, Altai Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, AngelList, Jean de Fougerolles, Awesome People Ventures, Basecamp Fund, B Capital Group, BoxGroup, Buckley Ventures, Chapter One Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, David Namdar, Ali Tamaseb, Divergence Ventures, Earl Grey Capital, Equity Alliance, Essence VC, Flexcap, Form Capital, Founder Collective, Future Ventures, Greylock, Ground Up Ventures, Gutter Capital, Haun Ventures, Helium-3 Ventures, H.I.G. Capital, INBlockchain, Indicator Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, Kearny Jackson, LGF, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Liquid 2 Ventures, Long Journey Ventures, Ludlow Ventures, M12, Magma Partners, Matrix, Meritech Capital Partners, Morpheus Ventures, NEO, Next47, Next Play Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Hans Tung, Otherwise Fund, Owl Rock Capital Partners, Paradigm, Pareto Holdings, Quiet Capital, Recharge Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Revel Partners, Rivet Ventures, Scale Asia Ventures, Shrug Capital, Slack Fund, SNR, Solana Ventures, Tuesday Capital, Tusk Venture Partners, Unruly Capital, UpHonest Capital, White Star Capital, WorkLife Ventures, Y Combinator, YLEM, Akshay Kothari, Amjad Masad, Anthony Pompliano, Arash Ferdowsi, Armando Mann, Augusto Marietti, Barry X Lynn, Christian Reber, Claire Hughes Johnson, Drew Houston, Dylan Field, Evan Williams, Faizan Khan (Unchained Capital), Fidji Simo, Howie Liu, Immad Akhund, Jack Smith, Jeff Morris, Kenny Van Zant, KV Rao, Matt Bellamy, Mei Z., Mike Krieger, Moshe Lifschitz, Neil Parikh, Paul McKellar, Ron Pragides, Ryan Sarver, Ryan Tedder, Sanket Parekh, Scott Belsky, Scott Heiferman, Shane Curran, Stewart Butterfield, Sumon Sadhu, Adam Bain, Dick Costolo, Harry Stebbings, Patrick Collison |
| Nov 10, 2020 | $1.3M Seed | Innovestor | Jakob Storå |
| Nov 1, 2019 | $4.0M Seed | Sequoia Capital | Abstract Ventures, AirAngels, Alumni Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, AngelList, Axiom Partners, Cherubic Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Comcast Ventures, David Namdar, Curie.Bio, Earl Grey Capital, Electric Capital, Flex Capital, Form Capital, Founders Fund, Greylock, Ground Up Ventures, Haun Ventures, Indicator Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, Kearny Jackson, LGF, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Long Journey Ventures, Ludlow Ventures, Matrix, Modern Venture Partners, NEO, Next Play Ventures, Hans Tung, Operator Partners, Otherwise Fund, Paradigm, Rainfall Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Shrug Capital, SoftBank Investment Advisers, South Park Commons, Stellar Capital, Tiger Global Management, TSVC Capital, Tusk Venture Partners, Twelve Below, WorkLife Ventures, Zinc, Adam D'Angelo, Akshay Kothari, Amjad Masad, Bradley Horowitz, Christian Reber, Dylan Field, Evan Williams, Fidji Simo, Matt Mazzeo, Mike Krieger, Moshe Lifschitz, Neil Parikh, Ron Pragides, Ryan Sarver, Ryan Tedder, Sanket Parekh, Scott Belsky, Shane Curran, Wayne Chang, Jude Gomila, Bobby Goodlatte, Charlie Cheever, Dan Romero, Emilie Choi, Fred Stevens-Smith, Gustaf Alströmer 🇺🇦, James Smith, Julia DeWahl, Larry Gadea, Marc McCabe, Tikhon Bernstam, Index Ventures |