Germany’s startup ecosystem has raised a generation of entrepreneurs, but few are as intriguing as Jan Oberhauser, the innovative n8n founder. Born in Germany, Oberhauser nourished an interest in creating and fixing things. A doer, not a thinker, he is a “builder at heart” a builder who is happy to create tools that simplify life. As a software engineer prior to n8n, he was always searching for ways to automate mundane work.
But the technology that was available then did not satisfy him. It was too inflexible, too constrictive, and too costly. That irritation sparked a vision that would become one of the most successful stories in European technology today.
The Beginning of a Side Project
Oberhauser began tinkering with n8n during his spare time in 2019. He envisioned something big: an open-source workflow automation platform that users could utilize, modify, and make contributions to. The platform should be robust enough to draw developers, but easy enough to learn for non-technical individuals.
The initial release was quietly put up on GitHub to a small community of developers. But then it went viral. People enjoyed the fact that it was open and adaptable, and that they could link a lot of applications without being tied to a single provider. What had begun as a hobby project quickly began attracting attention beyond what Oberhauser had anticipated.
From Passion Project to Startup
As the community grew rapidly, Oberhauser was presented with a crucial decision — keep n8n as a side project or turn it into an actual startup. He decided to turn it into a startup and left his job to work full-time on developing the platform.
n8n’s open source turned out to be its greatest asset. Developers all over the world contributed new functions, integrations, and enhancements. With each release, the platform improved, and each success story from small businesses to corporations demonstrated its potential.
The Road to Becoming a Unicorn
In the following years, n8n grew from a niche open-source solution to a world automation leader. The popularity attracted investors, and there were several rounds of investment. The investment helped the organization employ more staff, enhance infrastructure, and increase operations.
In its last funding round, n8n reached a valuation of $1.5 billion, formally joining the prestigious “unicorn” club. For Oberhauser, the validation was not so much about the valuation — but that it showed that open-source, community-driven innovation could compete with and beat big corporate players like Zapier and Make.
Why n8n Stands Out
With an open market of automation competitors, n8n stands out based on three fundamental values: openness, flexibility, and empowerment. The users are able to host it themselves, customize it, and scale it without being bound to costly prices. This different method has attracted freelancers, startups, and big companies as well as well.
Looking Ahead
Oberhauser has big plans for the future. With fresh capital, n8n will be augmenting its AI and machine learning features, building more robust integrations, and further investing in its global developer base.
“I began n8n to solve my own issue,” Oberhauser says, “but now we’re solving issues for millions.”
A Tale of People Behind the Code
Jan Oberhauser transitioned from writing code in an apartment in Berlin to running a $1.5 billion company. His is a tale not only of startup success but of the power of determination, collaboration, and the resilience of open-source software. To Oberhauser, unicorn-dom is merely the start. It’s the start of something greater to change the way the world thinks about automation.