Why Some Startups Are ‘Refounding’ — And What It Means for the Future

Sometimes, launching a startup once isn’t enough.
A growing number of companies, including Airtable, Handshake, and Opendoor are now embracing a surprising idea: refounding.

So what does that mean?

According to recent reports in The New York Times, refounding usually happens when a company hits a major turning point. This could be a shift in business model or the launch of new AI-powered products. Instead of treating it as a simple update, these companies see it as a second beginning.

Take Airtable, for example. In June, the company announced that “instead of just adding more AI capabilities,” they approached the moment as a full refounding. Co-founder and CEO Howie Liu explained that this isn’t a pivot. A pivot means something went wrong. In this case, the mission stayed the same — but the scale and direction evolved so dramatically that it felt like starting over.

Handshake went through a similar transformation. Chief marketing officer Katherine Kelly said the goal is to bring startup energy back into an established business. That includes a faster pace, more focus, and even harder work. Handshake even told employees to return to the office five days a week to move with greater urgency and alignment.

So, is it time to refound your startup?

Refounding isn’t about failure — it’s about recognizing a moment of opportunity. It’s about treating a new chapter with the same intensity and ambition you had on day one. For startups navigating the fast-changing AI landscape, this mindset might be exactly what keeps them moving forward.

The question isn’t just whether your startup needs a refresh.
It’s whether you’re ready to build again — with everything you’ve learned.