Apple has just purchased a tiny database company based in Virginia called FoundationDB, sources have told TechCrunch.
Apple buys FoundationDB
There is no official word yet from either company, however CrunchFund, the venture capital company cofounded by Michael Arrington (who founded TechCrunch) was an investor in FoundationDB, so the claim appears to hold water.
Apple is pushing heavily into cloud computing, so the acquisition would seem like a good fit and sensible move for the Cupertino-based company.
FoundationDB makes a database called a “noSQL” database that was offered as a cloud service. noSQL is commonly used for web applications, as it can store data in an unstructured format (a bit like Hadoop), unlike more traditional databases which have a very organised structure.
Unique technology
FoundationDB apparently have unique technology that means it works extremely fast and for low cost. However, it’s perhaps not the most popular noSQL database in existence, but many companies in that space are currently doing very well. Business was booming for FoundationDB, which first came on the scene publicly in 2013.
So far, there’s no information regarding what Apple paid to acquire the company, however FoundationDB has raised $23 million previously in two funding rounds from SV Angel, Sutter Hill and CrunchFund.
CEO of FoundationDB, David Rosenthal, was previously VP of Engineering at Omniture, before going on to found the company with COO Nick Lavezzeo and dave Scherer in 2009.
According to the various tech sites, Apple has not yet confirmed the purchase, instead choosing to issue the standard statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans”.
SOURCE: TechCrunch
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.