Supabase grew to $5B by saying no to million-dollar offers
Supabase, the open-source backend platform, has achieved a $5B valuation in record time — and it did so in a way that defies traditional startup thinking. Instead of chasing lucrative enterprise contracts, CEO Paul Copplestone focused on developer experience, turning down million-dollar deals to maintain simplicity, speed, and usability. This approach lies at the heart of the Supabase business model , which prioritizes the needs of developers over short-term revenue from big corporate clients. The Supabase business model emphasizes accessibility, scalability, and reliability. Developers can quickly deploy PostgreSQL databases, set up authentication, generate APIs, and manage real-time subscriptions — all without the complexity of traditional enterprise solutions. By keeping the platform open-source, Supabase ensures there’s no vendor lock-in, giving developers freedom to build, scale, and innovate without barriers. This developer-first strategy has made Supabase the go-to backend s...