GraphQL
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
GraphQL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GraphQL
- Legal name
- The GraphQL Foundation
- Website
- https://graphql.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GraphQL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- API Query Language / API Development Specification
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- GraphQL, gRPC & Modern API Protocols (BPAMAOAK)
Keywords
Where GraphQL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GraphQL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Foundation Membership: The GraphQL Foundation is funded by member companies who pay membership fees. Companies join to support the open-source technology and gain influence over the specification direction.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
GraphQL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GraphQL is an open-source query language for APIs and a server-side runtime that provides a strongly-typed schema to define relationships between data. The offering is delivered as a specification (spec.graphql.org), the GraphQL.js reference implementation for Node.js environments, and the GraphiQL interactive in-browser IDE. The technology is storage-agnostic and works with existing code, databases, REST APIs, and third-party services.
Product overview
GraphQL is an open-source query language for APIs and a server-side runtime, originally developed by Facebook in 2012 and open-sourced in 2015. The GraphQL ecosystem consists of the core GraphQL specification, the GraphQL.js reference implementation for Node.js, the GraphiQL interactive IDE for exploring APIs, and the GraphQL Foundation (hosted by Linux Foundation since 2018) for governance and community stewardship. The offering is complemented by educational resources including the Learn documentation and Blog, as well as community events such as GraphQLConf (annual flagship conference) and GraphQL Day (community-organized events worldwide). The technology is language-agnostic with implementations available across many programming languages including JavaScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, and others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GraphQL Open-source query language for APIs and server-side runtime that provides a strongly-typed schema to define relationships between data, allowing clients to request exactly the fields they need.
- GraphQL.js Reference implementation of the GraphQL specification for Node.js environments, providing the core functionality for parsing, validating, and executing GraphQL queries.
- GraphiQL Interactive in-browser GraphQL IDE that enables developers to explore GraphQL APIs, write queries, view results, and use autocomplete and schema introspection.
- GraphQL Specification The official GraphQL specification document that defines the query language syntax, type system, and execution semantics for GraphQL implementations; maintained at spec.graphql.org.
Quantifiable outcome
- Single request retrieves multiple related resources, eliminating multiple API calls
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GraphQL
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GraphQL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature7 records
GraphQL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Meta (Facebook)flagshipMeta is the creator of GraphQL and has used it internally since 2012. Meta open-sourced the GraphQL specification in 2015. Meta continues to be a key supporter, hosting GraphQLConf 2026 at their Fremont Campus and serving as a Platinum sponsor. Meta provides ongoing technical contributions and leadership within the GraphQL Foundation.
- Linux FoundationflagshipThe GraphQL Foundation has been hosted by the Linux Foundation since 2018. The Linux Foundation provides administrative infrastructure, governance support, and organizational framework for the GraphQL open-source project. This partnership ensures vendor-neutral stewardship of the GraphQL specification.
- WunderGraphcoreWunderGraph is a Gold sponsor for GraphQLConf 2026. WunderGraph composes all APIs into a single unified GraphQL API and provides solutions like WunderGraph Cosmo for GraphQL Federation.
- FOST (Future of Software Technologies)coreFOST hosts GraphQL Day events at conferences worldwide including Singapore, NYC, Amsterdam, Bengaluru, London, Melbourne, and Paris. Started in Paris, GraphQL Day has expanded to seven cities worldwide as community-organized GraphQL events.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
GraphQL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hasura: Hasura provides a managed GraphQL API layer that auto-generates schemas from existing databases and microservices. It directly competes with hand-rolled GraphQL servers and federation approaches, targeting the same enterprise backend modernization use case.
- WunderGraph: WunderGraph builds GraphQL federation and API composition tooling (e.g., Cosmo) and is a Gold sponsor of GraphQLConf 2026. It competes in the GraphQL gateway and federation layer, an area where the GraphQL specification itself is most directly relevant.
- gRPC: gRPC is Google's open-source, strongly-typed RPC framework and the most direct architectural alternative to GraphQL for service-to-service APIs. It competes for the same backend API modernization budgets and developer mindshare.
- Apollo GraphQL: Apollo is the leading commercial platform built around the GraphQL specification, offering a federation gateway, client, and developer tooling. It is the most direct commercial counterpart to the GraphQL Foundation's specification work and competes for the same developer mindshare and enterprise adoption.
Broad incumbents
- Postman: Postman is the dominant API development and testing platform across REST, GraphQL, and gQL workflows. While it does not compete with GraphQL as a protocol, it shapes developer tooling, learning resources, and adoption patterns around the GraphQL ecosystem.
Emerging players
- tRPC: tRPC is a TypeScript-first RPC framework that provides end-to-end typesafe APIs without a schema definition language. It is increasingly the default choice in TypeScript monorepos and represents a credible alternative path for teams weighing GraphQL.
- GraphQL Nexus: Nexus is a community library for building code-first, type-safe GraphQL schemas in TypeScript and JavaScript. It is a meaningful ecosystem participant that competes for developer mindshare within the GraphQL server-side tooling category.
- StepZen: StepZen offers a managed GraphQL API platform that connects REST, GraphQL, and database sources behind a unified GraphQL endpoint. It targets the same unified-data-layer use case that the GraphQL Foundation promotes.
- Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS): Hygraph is a headless CMS that exposes a native GraphQL API for content delivery. It is a focused GraphQL implementation competing for the same frontend-heavy and content-driven workloads that GraphQL targets.
Others
- OpenAPI Initiative: The OpenAPI Initiative maintains the OpenAPI Specification, the prevailing standard for describing REST APIs. It represents the incumbent alternative vision for typed API contracts and competes conceptually with GraphQL for design-of-the-API mindshare.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GraphQL social profiles
Digital presenceGraphQL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GraphQL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GraphQL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GraphQL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GraphQL
What does GraphQL do?
GraphQL is an open-source query language for APIs and a server-side runtime that provides a strongly-typed schema to define relationships between data. The offering is delivered as a specification (spec.graphql.org), the GraphQL.js reference implementation for Node.js environments, and the GraphiQL interactive in-browser IDE. The technology is storage-agnostic and works with existing code, databases, REST APIs, and third-party services.
Is GraphQL a public or private company?
GraphQL is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was GraphQL founded?
GraphQL was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GraphQL based?
GraphQL is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does GraphQL make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Membership.
Who are GraphQL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hasura, WunderGraph, gRPC and Apollo GraphQL. Postman is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are tRPC, GraphQL Nexus, StepZen and Hygraph (formerly GraphCMS). OpenAPI Initiative is listed as an others.
Does GraphQL have an API?
Yes. GraphQL is an open-source query language for APIs and a server-side runtime. It provides a strongly-typed schema to define relationships between data. The GraphQL specification defines how APIs are queried, and GraphQL.js is the reference implementation for Node.js environments. The specification is available at spec.graphql.org. GraphQL is storage-agnostic and works with existing code and data. Developer documentation is at spec.graphql.org.
What industry is GraphQL in?
GraphQL's product category is API Query Language / API Development Specification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAOAK, GraphQL, gRPC & Modern API Protocols. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.