Behind the Site

Raycast

raycast.com

Raycast is a keyboard-driven productivity launcher for Mac and Windows that combines app launching, AI commands, clipboard history, and an extensions ecosystem.

Productivity software › Application launcher / command bar with AI and extensionsactiveResearched 2026-09-24

Age6 years1,6Founded 2020 · Domain registered 2000-01-04Confirmed
Based inLondon, United Kingdom6,8Altrincham, Cheshire, United KingdomLikely
Employees11-506LinkedIn company size bandLikely
Funding$48M raised1,2,3,4pre-seed $120K (2020) · seed $2.7M (2020) · Series A $15M (2021) · Series B $30M (2024)Confirmed
PlatformsiPhone, Mac, Windows, Browser extension, API1,7Confirmed
FoundersThomas Paul Mann, Petr Nikolaev1CEO & Co-founder · CTO & Co-founderConfirmed

Summary

Raycast is a productivity launcher application founded in London in 2020 by two former Facebook (Meta) engineers, Thomas Paul Mann and Petr Nikolaev, who built it to solve their own workflow pain points as developers. It started as a Mac-only, developer-focused tool with an extensions API, then broadened into a general AI-powered productivity platform (notes, clipboard history, window management, AI commands) aimed at a wider audience of designers, writers and project managers, and expanded to Windows and a companion iOS app around 2024-2025. The company is backed by venture capital including Y Combinator, Accel, Coatue and Atomico, having raised roughly $47-48 million across pre-seed, seed, Series A and Series B rounds. It remains an independent, privately held company operating under Raycast Technologies Ltd (UK), with a small team in the 11-50 employee range.

Timeline

  1. 2020

    founded Raycast founded1

    Founded in London by ex-Facebook engineers Thomas Paul Mann and Petr Nikolaev

  2. 2020-10

    funding Seed round2

    Raised $2.7M seed led by Accel with YC and angel participation

  3. 2021-11

    funding Series A3,4

    Raised $15M led by Accel and Coatue; Extensions API and Store made generally available

  4. 2023

    launch Raycast Pro launched1

    Paid tier adding cloud sync, translator, custom themes and Raycast AI

  5. 2024-09

    funding Series B1

    Raised $30M led by Atomico to expand to Windows and iOS

  6. 2025-04

    platform iOS companion app released13

    "Raycast: AI, Notes and more" published on the Apple App Store

  7. 2025-11

    platform Raycast for Windows announced/blogged7

    Public first look and blog post on Windows version

Founders

  • Thomas Paul Mann1

    CEO & Co-founder

    Former Facebook (Meta) engineer before co-founding Raycast in 2020

  • Petr Nikolaev1

    CTO & Co-founder

    Former Facebook (Meta) engineer before co-founding Raycast in 2020

Domains

DomainRoleFirst seen
raycast.com14Domain registered in 2000, well before the company existed (2020); likely acquired by the founders after that date, exact acquisition date unconfirmedmain2000-01-04

Sources

  1. Raycast raises $30M to bring its Mac productivity app to Windows and iOStechcrunch.com
  2. Developer productivity tools startup Raycast raises $2.7M from Acceltechcrunch.com
  3. Developer productivity tools startup Raycast raises $15M from Accel and Coatuetechcrunch.com
  4. $15M Series A to make work frictionless - Raycast Blograycast.com
  5. Raycast Company Information - Funding, Investors, and Moreseedtable.com
  6. Raycast | LinkedInuk.linkedin.com
  7. Raycast (software) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
  8. Raycast - HQ | The Orgtheorg.com
  9. RAYCAST TECHNOLOGIES LTD. - Companies Housefind-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
  10. Raycast - 2025 Funding Rounds & List of Investors - Tracxntracxn.com
  11. Raycast 2026 Company Profile - PitchBookpitchbook.com
  12. Raycast Technologies: Employee Directory - ZoomInfozoominfo.com
  13. Raycast: AI, Notes and more - App Storeapps.apple.com
  14. RDAP registration record for raycast.comraycast.com
  15. Certificate transparency subdomain listing for raycast.comraycast.com
  16. Raycast - Your shortcut to everythingraycast.com
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