Notion focuses on AI context layer to drive enterprise growth

Notion Labs Japan held a media roundtable to discuss the company’s strategic focus on the AI context layer rather than just AI agents. CEO Ivan Zhao highlighted that while AI adoption is growing, most enterprises remain at the level of individual use (Level 1) or basic assistance (Level 2). A significant barrier exists in moving to Level 3, where AI acts as a collaborative teammate, due to fragmented data context and organizational culture challenges.

Notion aims to solve these issues by providing a unified context layer that integrates various tools via MCP while maintaining governance. The company’s strategy leverages its strength as a data store for unstructured data and its ability to avoid vendor lock-in by remaining model-agnostic.

The enterprise sector is a major growth driver for Notion, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) in this segment increasing by 169% as of August 2026, two-thirds of which is attributed to AI involvement. Notable enterprise users include NEC and Keio University.