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Formagrid
Howie Liu's Formagrid operates Airtable, the $11B low-code platform, with a family office that reinvests in early-stage enterprise software.
Formagrid
Howie Liu co-founded Formagrid in 2013 alongside Andrew Ofstad and Emmett Nicholas, aiming to democratize database creation. The entity became the operating company behind Airtable, a platform that lets non-engineers build custom applications. Liu, who previously sold his CRM startup Etacts to Salesforce, built the firm from a Y Combinator demo-day concept into a tool adopted by over 300,000 organizations by 2023. Formagrid's strategy flows from Airtable's own enterprise and prosumer revenue, with Liu's personal investment vehicle recycling capital into early-stage enterprise software, AI-native tools, and productivity startups. The portfolio reflects a founder's knowledge of SaaS metrics and product-led growth. Known investments span startups that intersect with collaborative work and automation. The geographic footprint concentrates on San Francisco and the Bay Area, mirroring the dense network of Airtable's own customer base and Liu's Y Combinator and venture connections. December 2023: Airtable named a new slate of leadership, appointing a Chief Product Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, signaling a transition from founder-led functional oversight to a scaled enterprise sales motion (per the firm, December 2023). Liu's office likely employs a lean team of under ten, consistent with single-principal tech-founder family offices that focus on direct venture deals rather than institutional fund structures. The office operates without a public brand separate from Airtable. Liu's structural differentiator is his operational adjacency. Unlike a pure allocator, he sits inside a late-stage private company valued at $11 billion, with real-time visibility into how tens of thousands of businesses adopt software. That vantage point gives his direct investments a live signal stream on what tooling enterprises actually need, a genuine information advantage that typical venture arms must pay for through cold outreach or paid data products.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Howie Liu
Co-Founder and CEO
Andrew Ofstad
Co-Founder
Emmett Nicholas
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How is Formagrid related to Airtable?
Formagrid is the legal entity name of the company that operates the product Airtable. Howie Liu, Andrew Ofstad, and Emmett Nicholas founded Formagrid in 2013. The firm's commercial arm serves over 300,000 organizations with its low-code database platform. Liu's personal investment activity is distinct from the operating company's balance sheet but draws on the same network.
What does Howie Liu invest in through his family office?
Liu focuses on early-stage enterprise software, AI-native productivity tools, and companies that benefit from product-led growth strategies. His investment lens is shaped by his decade-plus experience scaling Airtable and his prior exit of Etacts to Salesforce. The portfolio is concentrated in San Francisco Bay Area startups.
Does Formagrid raise external capital like a venture firm?
No. Liu's family office deploys his personal capital from Airtable equity and earnings. It does not manage third-party LP commitments or operate as a fund. Deal flow stems from the Y Combinator network, Airtable's customer ecosystem, and Liu's relationships across the SaaS founder community.
What was Airtable's last known valuation and funding?
Airtable raised $735 million at an $11 billion valuation in a Series F round in December 2021 (per Forbes), with participants including Silver Lake, XN, and JP Morgan. The valuation reflected peak market enthusiasm for collaboration infrastructure before the broader SaaS correction in 2022. The firm has not raised primary funding since that round.
Is Liu's office structured as a single family office?
Yes, based on public records, Liu's investment entity operates as a single-family office managing his personal wealth from Airtable. The office has no known external brand, website, or regulatory filings for outside capital. The team likely consists of a small group of investment professionals without a publicly disclosed headcount.
How did Howie Liu build his wealth?
Liu co-founded Formagrid in 2013 and scaled it into Airtable, which reached an $11 billion private market valuation. He previously founded Etacts, a CRM startup acquired by Salesforce in 2010. His wealth derives from founder equity in Airtable, with no publicly disclosed liquidity events outside of potential secondary sales.
Does the family office have a separate philanthropic arm?
No separate philanthropic entity is publicly known. Charitable giving, if any, has not been structured as a visible foundation separate from Liu's personal activity. The office maintains a low profile with no public disclosures of donor-advised funds or a dedicated philanthropic vehicle.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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