January 31, 2024
Databricks Acquires Team Behind AI Startup Einblick
(Ryzhi/Shutterstock)
Databricks, one of the leading data lakhouse providers, continues its shopping spree by acquiring the team behind the natural language data science notebook Einblick.
The Einblick team has spent the last four years building and fine-tuning an AI-native collaboration platform that they claim can solve data problems with just one sentence.
The rise of GenAI has enabled a new generation of data systems – data intelligence platforms. These platforms empower organizations to make informed, data-driven decisions. They also contribute to better team collaboration, efficiency, and data governance.
The latest data intelligence platforms provide native natural language interfaces so non-expert users can also access insights and information. The next wave of data intelligence platforms is taking it further by offering the capability to understand semantic information and jargon specific to the company.
As Databricks joins forces with the Einblick team, the stage is set for incorporating Einblick’s innovative, AI-native approach directly into the Databricks platform. This will allow organizations to democratize data intelligence and create the next generation of AI applications.
This is the fourth acquisition by Databrick over the last 12 months. It acquired enterprise data startup Arcion for $100M in October last year, Mosaic ML for a staggering $1.3B, and data governance platform Okera for an undisclosed amount. The price tag for the Databricks and Einblick deal has not been disclosed.
According to Ali Ghodsi, the CEO and Founder of Databricks, the move to acquire the Einblick team is part of the company’s “asymmetric strategy”. Ghodsi explains “We’ve raised $4 billion in capital, and can invest heavily in M&A while expanding in other parts of the world—when every other company can’t do that, they’re facing austerity and layoffs.”
Ghodsi says that Databricks could have followed a more traditional route by going public during the 2021 IPO boom, but instead opted to focus on R&R and M&A. Databricks’ strategy has worked well so far with the company being valued at $43B in its Series I round in September last year.
For the Einblick team, the deal offers an opportunity to grow by gaining greater exposure to the rapidly changing AI landscape including the explosion of custom GenAI models built by developers and companies across the globe.
“When we founded Einblick, our goal was to empower companies to do more with data, by creating the easiest and most collaborative data platform. Today marks a significant milestone as we join forces with Databricks to further our mission. I am thrilled to embark on this new journey with a company whose mission is to simplify and democratize data and AI.” said Emanuel Zgraggen, CEO and co-founder of Einblick.
Einblick was founded back in 2019 by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brown University. The essence of Einblick’s innovation is rooted in data analysis. The company integrates AI directly in its authoring surface enabling users to effortlessly convert thoughts into data workflows. Einblick co-founder Tim Kraska and Databricks founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi attended university together in Berkeley.
There seems to be an alignment between the goals of Databricks and Einblick. They both aim to empower companies to do more with data, by creating an easy-to-use and collaborative data platform that can be used by every user, irrespective of their technical expertise.
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