The History of Doodle

The beginning

Doodle was founded in 2007 by Michael Näf and Paul E. Sevinç, two students from ETH Zürich. They sought to create a smarter way to meet with people—one that avoided endless rounds of back-and-forth emails. This founding vision sparked the platform’s ongoing mission: to simplify how people schedule.

Incorporation and early growth

In 2008, Doodle was incorporated as Doodle AG in Switzerland and secured its first round of financing. In 2009, the company launched its first premium service and introduced calendar integrations for the first time. These paved the way for in-app calendar views by 2010.

Expansion and new leadership

By 2011, Doodle had surpassed 10 million users and shifted focus toward global expansion, revamping its desktop and mobile platforms. That same year, it launched MeetMe (Quick Calendar), a personal scheduling profile. TX Group, then called Tamedia, also took a minority stake.

The company continued expanding with the launch of its Android app in 2013, completing optimization for smartphones and tablets. In 2014, Doodle’s monthly user base hit 20 million, supporting more languages than ever before. The founding team handed over leadership to Michael Brecht, who became CEO, while Tamedia acquired a majority stake in the company.

The professional era and virtual collaboration

In late 2018, Doodle launched 1:1 meetings. 2019 marked the launch of key tools such as Group Polls and the Booking Page (initially called the Bookable Calendar)—later redesigned and renamed Booking Page in 2021. Renato Profico took over as CEO that year. Doodle also expanded to the U.S., opening offices in New York and Atlanta, alongside existing hubs in Berlin, Belgrade, and Zürich.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 reshaped work worldwide. Doodle swiftly integrated Zoom, allowing users to connect virtually or in person, and added custom questions to the Booking Page, helping people better prepare for remote meetings.

In 2021, Microsoft Teams integration expanded virtual collaboration options. The same year saw the launch of the Booking Page, significantly enhancing the professional scheduling experience. Meanwhile, Doodle began a rebrand, introducing a friendlier, more mature tone and an updated visual identity.

Website relaunch and brand messaging

Early 2022 brought Cisco Webex integration, rounding out support for major video platforms. On March 28, 2022, Doodle launched its new website in five languages, unveiling the tagline “It starts with when.” This captured Doodle’s core value: Great things happen when we come together—and it starts with when. With a fresh design emphasizing simplicity and humanity, this milestone reinforced Doodle’s role as a trusted scheduling platform.

Continued expansion and new features (2023–2025)

Between 2023 and 2025, Doodle built on its professional focus with new features and integrations designed to simplify scheduling even further. Stripe integration enabled professionals to collect payments directly through Doodle’s Booking Page. Sign-up Sheet made it easy to coordinate events, classes, and volunteer activities with session capacities, custom questions, and enrollment tracking. Participant management tools gave organizers flexibility to manually add or remove attendees and manage capacities more easily.

In October 2024, Doodle expanded its Board of Directors with SaaS and growth experts Katharina Pfaffhauser and Cris Grossmann. These updates strengthened Doodle’s position as the professional scheduling platform of choice—helping people organize time more effectively across work, learning, and personal life.

The new Doodle (2025–present)

Now marking 18 years since its founding, Doodle, under CEO Christian Fielitz, is entering a new era focused on an orchestration of time that places humans and their needs at the center—with over 30 million monthly users worldwide.

Doodle’s journey is just beginning. In 2025 and beyond, the company is committed to delivering new features, refining the user experience, and helping people reclaim their time—so every meeting, class, or connection has more impact. At its core, Doodle believes time is not just about efficiency, but about creating space for what matters: focus, creativity, connection, and rest. This vision guides the company as it continues to evolve.