Obsidian

Obsidian is a knowledge base and note-taking application that was founded in 2020 by Shida Li and Erica Xu. With a mission to provide a flexible and open-source platform for personal knowledge management and collaborative work, Obsidian focuses on a local-first storage model. This approach allows users to maintain control over their data while utilizing powerful linking and visualization features. The application has garnered significant popularity among researchers, writers, and knowledge workers due to its ability to facilitate the creation of interconnected notes and personal wikis.

The company offers a core product, the Obsidian note-taking application, which supports markdown formatting and hosts an extensive plugin ecosystem for added functionality. While its core application is free for personal use, Obsidian also provides premium services such as Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish, enhancing collaboration capabilities for teams and businesses. Operating primarily with a small, remote team, Obsidian is an independent entity that has established itself as a key player in the knowledge management software market, especially among those seeking a robust and customizable note-taking solution.