Story of Databricks: Founder and CEO - Ali Ghodsi
Databricks:
In 2013, a group of visionary engineers and researchers from
UC Berkeley, including Ali Ghodsi, came together with one bold idea: to help
the world work with big data more efficiently. They built Databricks around
Apache Spark, an open-source project they had co-created. The mission was to
simplify data, make it usable for everyone, and prepare businesses for the
AI-driven future.
Early Building Blocks
The early years were tough but exciting. Ali Ghodsi worked
as VP of Engineering and Product Management, focusing on refining the platform.
The team worked tirelessly to ensure Databricks wasn’t just another analytics
tool, but a unified platform that could handle data at massive scale while
enabling machine learning and AI applications.
Leadership Shift
By January 2016, Ali Ghodsi stepped into the CEO role. His
academic background in distributed computing and his industry experience gave
him the ability to scale Databricks globally. Under his leadership, the company
quickly expanded into international markets, building partnerships with major
corporations while also fostering ties with UC Berkeley’s RiseLab.
Growing with Data
Databricks steadily grew into a trusted partner for
enterprises transitioning into data and AI-driven businesses. They emphasized
tools that gave organizations secure, real-time analytics alongside machine
learning solutions. This was also when the concept of the “lakehouse”
architecture began taking shape combining the flexibility of data lakes with
the performance of data warehouses.
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Big Breakthroughs
As businesses across the globe accelerated digital
transformation, Databricks became central in helping them harness the power of
AI. The platform unified governance, simplified data management, and introduced
collaborative AI-powered solutions. Its ability to integrate structured and
unstructured data without compromising security made it the go-to solution for
enterprises.
Record-Breaking Valuations
By September 2023, Databricks hit a major milestone by
raising $5.25 billion in Series J funding at a $43 billion valuation. With
billions flowing into its expansion, the company strengthened its lead in
generative AI applications, ensuring customers could build and deploy AI
solutions while controlling cost and data privacy. Databricks was no longer
just a platform builder; it had become an AI industry leader.
Explosive Growth Era
In January 2025, Databricks hit the headlines again with a
massive $10 billion raise at a $62 billion valuation. Investors and customers
recognized the transformative shift Databricks was driving with its AI-first
approach. That same year, employees were given secondary rounds to sell shares,
though many chose to hold on, confident in the company’s future.
The Road to $100 Billion
By August 2025, Databricks struck gold with an
oversubscribed fresh round of $1 billion, valuing the company at an astounding
$100 billion. This funding wasn’t about survival—it was fuel for innovation.
Ali Ghodsi revealed two bold new bets: Lakebase, a next-generation
AI-focused database, and Agent Bricks, a platform for building AI
agents.
Building Lakebase & Agent Bricks
Lakebase, introduced in June 2025, was an operational
database for AI agents, built on Postgres with separated compute and storage.
It empowered AI-driven applications to generate databases at lightning speed
without spiking costs, directly competing with players like Supabase. Alongside
it, Agent Bricks aimed to help organizations deploy practical AI agents for
business use—focusing not on superintelligence, but on real-world business
problems.
Redefining the Future of AI
Ali Ghodsi’s vision was clear: the new users of databases
aren’t just humans, they are AI agents. In fact, by 2025, up to 80% of
databases were already being created by AI agents. Databricks positioned itself
at the center of this shift, ready to lead a revolution in how businesses
operate, make decisions, and harness AI. With $20 billion raised since 2013 and
a global customer base exceeding millions of users monthly, Databricks was no
longer just a startup story it had become a cornerstone of the AI-powered
enterprise world.
