Post #242

Databricks just closed 2024's largest VC round: $10B Series J at $62B valuation. Key metrics: • $3B+ revenue run rate (60% YoY growth) • 500+ customers paying $1M+ annually • First-time positive free cash flow expected Q4 • 10,000+ organizations using platform How Ali Ghodsi built this: • Started with Apache Spark at UC Berkeley (2008) → Created open-source foundation • Founded Databricks (2013) → Commercialized Spark vs dominant Hadoop • Listened to customers → Built Delta Lake and MLflow for real needs • Created Lakehouse architecture → Unified data lakes and warehouses • Went cloud-first → Enabled scalability despite skepticism • Expanded globally → Opened hubs worldwide Funding led by Thrive Capital will fuel AI products, acquisitions, and international expansion. Takeaway: Build on open-source, listen obsessively to customers, create unified platforms. https://www.databricks.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/databricks-raising-10b-series-j-investment-62b-valuation Brewed by Startup Beaker.