MariaDB Corporation, the company behind one of the fastest growing open source databases, has raised $25 million in new funding. This brings the total investment in MariaDB to over $125 million. The funding round was led by SmartFin Capital, with participation from existing investors and new investor GP Bullhound.
“Expanding MariaDB SkySQL cloud operations is our key focus,” said Michael Howard, CEO of MariaDB Corporation. “There is an addressable and immediate market need with a growing number of companies who want to enable faster innovation and agility by adopting cloud technologies and shifting database management to DBaaS solutions. The funding extension gives us an immediate infusion to scale SkySQL faster, while doubling our valuation in a streamlined fundraising process that sets a path for our next steps.”
SkySQL is MariaDB’s Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) built and managed by the creators of the database. It would bring the full power of the MariaDB Platform to the cloud supporting “a new generation of modern applications with fast transactions and real-time analytics.” Built on a cloud-agnostic foundation with full customization capabilities, SkySQL would let customers pursue a cloud strategy that best meets their needs.
“MariaDB continues to exceed our expectations,” said Jürgen Ingels, founding partner, SmartFin Capital. “The company’s innovation in cloud database technology will help support the rapid growth in IT modernization that businesses large and small are pursuing to keep up with the world around us. We feel MariaDB is well-positioned to take a large share of the growing cloud database market as companies continue to push forward into the cloud. We are proud to invest more in MariaDB to continue their exceptional growth.”
Cloud Databases
The funding, part of an extension to MariaDB’s Series C funding, would allow MariaDB to scale its SkySQL operations to more quickly support the growing demand for cloud databases.
“MariaDB has risen to be a household name in the IT industry,” said Per Roman, co-founder and managing partner of GP Bullhound. “We have been particularly interested in MariaDB’s focus on bringing its flexibility, security and stability to the cloud. That’s why we’re excited to invest in MariaDB, as we see enormous opportunities for its SkySQL product.”
DBS Bank, ServiceNow, Walgreens, Samsung and more than 75% of the Fortune 500 all run MariaDB. The company intends to help its customers, big and small, realize the benefits of public and private clouds.
