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In 2010, Joel Gascoyne founded Buffer in Birmingham, UK, with the idea of creating a tool that would simplify the process of scheduling posts on social media platforms. Seeking new opportunities, the company moved to San Francisco the following year, where it benefited from the mentorship and resources of gas pedal AngelPad.

By 2012, Buffer had expanded its reach with specialized apps for iOS, Android, and various web browsers. A desire for transparency led to the launch of the Buffer Open initiative in 2013, which disclosed various company metrics, including real-time revenue and employee salary data. That same year was a pivotal year for Buffer, as the company reached the impressive milestone of one million users. However, it was not without its challenges. In 2013, Buffer experienced a security breach that resulted in spam emails from user accounts.

Over time, Buffer’s commitment to improving the user experience has become evident. In 2014, the company released Buffer Reply, an app designed to optimize social media interactions. Having resolved the domain name issue, the company successfully migrated from bufferapp.com to buffer.com in 2015.

In 2016, the company had annual revenue of $10 million and over 85,000 customers. In 2017, co-founder Leo Widrich left the company, but Buffer kept the momentum going and, in 2019, launched Buffer Analyze for detailed social media insights.

By the end of 2020, Buffer had scaled significantly, generating more than $20 million in revenue with more than 100,000 customers. Adhering to a modern operating paradigm, Buffer operates as a fully distributed company while maintaining a focus on providing top-notch social media management tools.