Companies104 Funding$41.8B Rounds76 ▼1 mo Investors69 Eng roles4177 ● data fresh
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Buffer

fresh

Buffer

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Cited as an example of a company that shares its metrics publicly, inspiring competitors. observed

fresh · evidence 14d ago 13 sources no confidence data
0/100
Venture signal
scored above 0% of pre-seed peers
Outlook Stable
Why this score? ↓

What we have established three decisions, kept apart

  1. 1 Identity verified Not recorded

    No person- or entity-level identity check is on record for this company. A name match is not one.

  2. 2 Evidence sufficient to publish Not yet

    The inclusion bar: two or more independent sourced evidence families. This profile is reachable but not in the ranked index. It is a statement about how much evidence we hold, and about nothing else.

  3. 3 Fit for a seed/Series-A sourcing buyer Not established

    We have not established fit. That is not a soft no and not a soft yes — it is unknown, and it is never counted as a qualified prospect.

Funding
$500K
Adoption
no signal
downloads / week
Developer
not scored
momentum / 100
Hiring
no board
eng openings
Commercial
not checked
homepage

Traction

Current round

Opportunity & risk

↓ Scored on 0 of 3 components — funding_recency, adoption, developer had no computable metric.

10 independent sources 0 promoted signals inspect the evidence →

The skeptic's read what this company has said, judged against what happened

24 claims on record 0 verified 1 contradicted 4 expired unmet 19 still unproven

Sharpest miss on record: “Buffer projected reaching 1 million users and $3.6 million revenue by January 2013.” — Buffer’s own Sep-2013 publication: $1m annual revenue reached January 2013 (projected $3.6m, −72% at the target date) and 1,000,000 users reached September 2013 (8 months after the…

Unproven ≠ false — it means the deadline or the evidence hasn't arrived. Nothing here is editorial: every count is a ledger row you can open on the Proof page.

Evaluation

How it's evaluated Four independent layers ▾

No single number decides. Layers can disagree — that's the point. New to this? →

Platform score derived
0/100
Founder self-assessment claimed
8/100
Investor ratings opinion
—
Expert ratings opinion
—
Rate this company Investor or expert role required ▾
—/5 · 0 investors

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What people are saying 20 signals from 2 voices ▾
Technology No signals collected yet ▾
No technology data yet. This category is part of the record and will populate as evidence is collected or the founder provides it.
Team & hiring No signals collected yet ▾
No team & hiring data yet. This category is part of the record and will populate as evidence is collected or the founder provides it.
Market & funding stage 1 of 3 signals present ▾
Funding stage
not provided
Lifecycle stage
not provided
Latest round stage
seed observed stale

Evidence & scoring

Why this score? none_required ▾

VentureSignalScore 0/100 for buffer, composed from 1 of 4 components (index v0 cross-signal), discounted ×0.79 for 30% signal coverage

ComponentWeightNormalizedContribution
funding_magnitude 0.3 0 0

Evidence this score rests on

Narrative vs. reality No SEC filing found for this round

Reported narrative · Tier 2
$500K seed
announced —
Filed reality · Tier 0 · SEC
No SEC Form D on record.

An evidence gap, not proof of falsity: Form D is not always required (foreign offerings, certain exemptions) or may not be filed yet.

Financing events four different events, four different dates

A first sale, a filing, an amendment and a public announcement are not the same event, and one date may not stand in for another. Where the latest financing date cannot be established from what we hold, this says unknown rather than substituting a date we do have.

Latest established financing date
unknown
Money moved on or after
not established
Total reported by
not established
Basis
unknown

No reported round and no SEC filing on record — no financing date is established.

Raw observations 58 records ▾
AttributeValueKindSourceObservedStateConf.
ai.document.claims {"claims": [{"claim": "As of October 2011, Buffer reported 800 paying users, $150,000 annual revenue run rate, 97% margins, and 55,000 users growing 40% per month.", "quote": "800 paying users.\n$150, observed artifact ↗ 2011-10-01 promoted 0.50
ai.document.claims {"claims": [{"claim": "Buffer reached 1,000,000 signups as of September 2013.", "quote": "We've hit the milestone we didn't even dream about when starting Buffer: 1,000,000 people have signed up for B observed artifact ↗ 2013-09-19 promoted 0.50
ai.document.claims {"claims": [{"claim": "Buffer had 800 paying users.", "quote": "800 paying users.", "topic": "Traction", "section": 0}, {"claim": "Buffer had a $150,000 annual revenue run rate.", "quote": "$150,000 a observed artifact ↗ 2011-10-01 promoted 0.50
common_name Buffer observed curated 2026-08-16 normalized 0.90
community.hn.max_points 593 observed artifact ↗ 2026-08-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.max_points 0 observed artifact ↗ 2026-10-08 normalized 0.20
community.hn.mentions 50 observed artifact ↗ 2026-08-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.mentions 0 observed artifact ↗ 2026-10-08 normalized 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16", "evidence_type": "rumor", "verification_status": "unverified"}, {"url": observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.rumors [] observed artifact ↗ 2026-10-08 normalized 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11918553", "title": "Buffer Layoffs", "points": 593, "created_at": "2016-06-16"} observed artifact ↗ 2016-06-16 superseded 0.20
community.hn.top_story {} observed artifact ↗ 2026-10-08 normalized 0.20
description Cited as an example of a company that shares its metrics publicly, inspiring competitors. observed artifact ↗ 2026-10-09 normalized 0.60
funding.round.amount_usd 500000 observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 normalized 0.50
funding.round.stage seed observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 normalized 0.50
metric.venture.funding_amount_usd 500000 derived calc 2026-09-19 derived 0.50
platform.visibility draft observed curated 2026-08-16 normalized 0.90
score.venture_signal 0 derived calc 2026-09-19 derived 0.26
sector emerging derived calc 2026-09-28 normalized 0.50
signal.attributed_claims 24 observed intelligence.claims 2026-09-26 parsed 0.90
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "buffer app is crushing it thousands of pay Members a very interesting social tool that I am in love with", "stance": " observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we have a few issues um like with uh Facebook and sometimes with Twitter as well um we're sending a lot through those observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we got a lot better over time", "stance": "bullish", "confidence": 1, "signal_class": "assessment", "speaker_name": "J observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "initially was the key thing was the buffering um and over time we found that really people really really love the cros observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we're lucky to have we got pocket on board um that's a really good integration", "stance": "bullish", "confidence": 1, observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we have know around 10,000 websites that have the buffer button um on there", "stance": "bullish", "confidence": 1, "s observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "for pocket they really like it because if people use buffer they can stay inside pocket and read more content", "stanc observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we reached Ramen profitability who had enough for me and my co-founder Leo to get by", "stance": "neutral", "confidenc observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we had uh 25,000 users overall and uh paying customers we were making about 4K a", "stance": "neutral", "confidence": observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "the key thing we had going for us was our traction", "stance": "bullish", "confidence": 0.9, "signal_class": "assessme observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we want to have a one base and we want to have people in the office we found it if we're all together we can move a lo observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "now we at uh 350,000 users overall um we still have a good conversion about 1.6 1.7% pay so we have close to 6,000 use observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "we breake even and um we have most of the funding still in the bank", "stance": "neutral", "confidence": 1, "signal_cl observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "the app is elegantly simple which means easy to copy and in fact you're not the first person to make software like thi observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "I think one of the key ones is um that we had a strong content marketing approach that was really really key ... and t observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "but if I hit the buffer button I have to log into buffer so you know as opposed to say the Facebook or the the um Twit observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "a key focus is to like kind of become ubiquitous in the medium term ... keeping it simple will I I I believe that can observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "I really think that you're a great entrepreneur and a great emerging entrepreneur because you've been very persistent observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "yeah none none I mean it's just the crossposting and stuff like that", "stance": "neutral", "confidence": 1, "signal_c observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
signal.commentary {"context": null, "run_ref": "01M2XS1Z0TSTGFS83YJBQ89J62", "signals": [{"quote": "I just buffer them now and then every two hours they go out it works so much better people don't see four in a row it observed artifact ↗ 2012-10-18 promoted 0.50
source.document.reference {"kind": "document", "title": "Buffer pitch deck (2011-10-01, seed)", "source_id": "01M06G1HD7BZ570AKFW6R656FY", "extract_ref": "artifact:sha256:3fd28e0762c9081ae8054d6458bacf14e87d61e28dfa296d80b24e5 observed artifact ↗ 2011-10-01 normalized 0.95
source.document.reference {"kind": "document", "title": "Buffer pitch deck (2011-10-01, seed)", "source_id": "01M06GFYVCZW87RBGSC8X2H05Z", "extract_ref": "artifact:sha256:f4732f92c7570ba0f3c61d022ca5651d20314c2a111ccc585e2630f observed artifact ↗ 2011-10-01 normalized 0.95
source.document.reference {"kind": "document", "title": "Buffer pitch deck (2011-10-01, seed)", "source_id": "01M06GP78S7DN61WA07BSZMJHZ", "extract_ref": "artifact:sha256:f99c43ecb69c7c4f3c6482e4f45bf82fbfd4abf75fcec71896e78d0 observed artifact ↗ 2011-10-01 normalized 0.95
source.document.reference {"kind": "document", "title": "Buffer: From 0 to 1,000,000 users (own blog + infographic)", "source_id": "01M06XWMRDR1K7GP892H2MZEYB", "extract_ref": "artifact:sha256:50a9570058df1325105b44f7b6412d0fa observed artifact ↗ 2013-09-19 normalized 0.95
source.document.reference {"kind": "video", "title": "- Startups - SendGrid Startup of the Week #11 - Joel Gascoigne of Buffer — buffer", "source_id": "01KXRSPXXQBRA85BQYQDE05WGM-m-d0ca8c2ac0dab879", "extract_ref": "artifact:s observed artifact ↗ 2026-09-19 normalized 0.95
source.document.reference {"kind": "video", "title": "- Startups - News Panel with Jay Levy and Brian Kennish - TWiST #290 — buffer", "source_id": "01KXRSPY1XXYAH3AZAJ7J8VQS0-m-d0ca8c2ac0dab879", "extract_ref": "artifact:sha25 observed artifact ↗ 2026-09-19 normalized 0.95