MariaDB plc has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GridGain Systems, Inc., the pioneer of in-memory computing and creator of open source Apache Ignite. The combination unites MariaDB’s AI-ready relational database with GridGain’s extreme in-memory speed, delivering sub-millisecond latency infrastructure purpose-built for agentic AI applications that require instantaneous, reliable access to massive datasets in enterprise technology and data management.
Quick Intel
MariaDB positions the acquisition as a strategic leap to support the agentic enterprise—autonomous AI systems that reason, plan, and execute—by eliminating latency gaps in traditional architectures and offering an open, high-performance alternative to proprietary and hyperscaler solutions.
Agentic AI demands real-time data access at massive scale with zero friction, far exceeding what passive chatbots require. Legacy systems introduce unacceptable delays through disk I/O and siloed services. By integrating GridGain’s in-memory processing with MariaDB’s transactional integrity, the combined platform delivers:
Rohit de Souza, CEO of MariaDB plc, stated: “The rise of agentic workloads has placed unprecedented demands on enterprise infrastructure, causing requirements to explode and requiring a level of scale and sub-millisecond latency that traditional systems simply weren’t built to handle. By uniting MariaDB’s platform with GridGain’s in-memory data grid, we are entering a new weight class. This enables us to provide a high-performance, scalable, open alternative to the rigid lock-in of Oracle and the fragmented complexity of hyperscalers.”
The combined entity will support an elite customer base requiring always-on, always-fast data infrastructure:
This roster highlights the platform’s suitability for mission-critical, data-intensive environments where reliability, speed, and scalability are non-negotiable.
Lalit Ahuja, CTO of GridGain Systems, Inc., added: “Enterprises today cannot afford the latency introduced by siloed data architectures. With MariaDB and GridGain, enterprise customers will get a unified platform that provides them the best of both worlds, performance and scale without having to give up on durability. The combined technology stack will unlock one of the key enablers for agentic enterprises: high-performance and reliable data processing that powers the next generation of AI applications.”
The acquisition aims to replace disconnected hyperscaler services with a cohesive, enterprise-supported solution that simplifies architecture while delivering the velocity required for AI agents to operate effectively at scale.
About MariaDB
MariaDB seeks to eliminate the constraints and complexity of proprietary databases, enabling organizations to reinvest in what matters most – rapidly developing innovative, customer-facing applications. Enterprises can depend on a single complete hybrid database platform for all their needs, that can be deployed in minutes for transactional, analytical, hybrid and AI use cases. Trusted by organizations such as Deutsche Bank, DBS, Nokia, Red Hat, Samsung and VirginMedia O2 – MariaDB delivers customer value without the financial burden of legacy database providers.
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