I wanted to share the good news that Webflow raised a new round of funding, and announce a major new grant program that will invest into this amazing community. I know that we’re living in a renewed time of crisis, and I know that many of you woke up today with a sense of unease and uncertainty. Some with a fear for your own life or that of your loved ones. Some with sorrow, some with anger, and some with hope. While we’re working to help the people of Ukraine and others facing unimaginable suffering, we’re also celebrating a major milestone in Webflow’s history. It’s hard to hold both of those conflicting realities at the same time, but I decided it was worth trying.

In March 2012, almost exactly a decade ago, Bret Victor’s “Inventing on Principle” talk randomly came across my Facebook feed. That chance post by a kind soul, amplified by the lifeless yet benevolent algorithm gods, changed my life forever. That night, I convinced my wife to uproot our lives — along with our 1 and 3 year old toddlers — and move to Silicon Valley to start Webflow. The next morning, having slept only 2 hours but feeling more rested and clear-eyed than ever, I told my boss I’d be leaving my full-time job, and reached out to Sergie and Bryant, who would eventually end up becoming my co-founders.

What was so special about that talk? It clarified that the purpose of my working life was to empower others to create for the web – and break the code barrier that holds back so many people and ideas from reaching their full potential. It made the idea behind Webflow — of web development via direct manipulation rather than writing code – not only seem possible, but inevitable. It made me believe that if I gave up on that idea, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

And there were many chances to give up along the way. From a failed Kickstarter campaign that used up all of our savings, to a medical emergency that nearly bankrupted our family, to scrounging for more credit cards to borrow against, to countless rejections from investors — all pulled us down into the depths of questioning whether it was the right call to pour our lives into this idea.

But then, little by little, we started meeting so many of you who began to form the Webflow community. You inspired us with the incredible things you were building that we never imagined could be possible. You showed us how important Webflow was to you in making a living or building a business. You invested your precious time and energy into others to help them succeed. It brought us motivation, a renewed sense of purpose, and a resolve to keep going.

It was this community who helped us chart a path towards becoming an enduring, generational business. With hundreds of thousands of customers now entrusting us with their mission-critical websites, we’re able to invest in building and sustaining a platform that you can build your business on. Because you invested in us, and you believed in us. From freelancers, to agencies, to startups, to enterprises of all sizes — you have helped us form a thriving community of creators, visual developers, marketers, and founders who are at the heart of Webflow’s success.

Now it’s time to return the favor. In conjunction with our new Series C funding – led by the great folks at YC Continuity, and joined by all of our supportive existing investors from CapitalG, Accel, Silversmith, and multiple others – we’re devoting $10,000,000 to invest directly into the members of this community through Webflow Community Grants that will provide grants and reimbursements for:

• Community engagement, learning, and networking events across the globe
• Educators creating content or curriculum to teach others how to build a career in visual development 
• Programs that empower marginalized groups to learn and build with Webflow 
• Freelancers who are building projects for non-profit and humanitarian causes
• Community members creating innovative content or programs that inspire and enable many others in the community to succeed and thrive with Webflow

Our goal is to remove as much friction as possible, and directly pour funds into our community to amplify the work that many of you are already doing out of your intrinsic desire to help others succeed in the Webflow community. We’ll have the program fully up and running in the next few months, and I can’t wait to share more details with you all – you can get on the waitlist here.

After the ups and downs of the last decade – and especially of the last two years – I’m so thankful for all of you for helping us get this far. Thank you for your trust, your passion, and your candor about where we can be better. We will continue to invest into our product, our ecosystem, our team, and the entire no-code community – and we won’t stop until we can proudly say that we’re empowering everyone to create for the web. 

With gratitude,
Vlad