SkySQL

SkySQL Inc. operates as a specialized Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) provider, offering a fully managed cloud platform for MySQL and MariaDB workloads. The company's history is intertwined with MariaDB Corporation, which originally developed and launched the SkySQL product in 2020. In December 2023, SkySQL was spun off as an independent company, acquiring all rights to the SkySQL product. The foundational technical team that built the service transitioned to the new entity.

The independent SkySQL was founded in 2023 by a team of database industry veterans: CEO Nithin Rao, CTO Jags Ramnarayan, and CPO Saravana Krishnamurthy. This leadership team, along with the core engineering group from MariaDB, brings extensive experience in cloud initiatives and database technologies. Their collective background includes co-founding five startups with successful exits, such as Autonomic (acquired by Ford) and GemStone Systems (acquired by VMware). Shortly after its formation, SkySQL secured $6.6 million in seed funding from investors including Eniac Ventures, Good Capital, and WTI to expand its AI-driven capabilities.

The company's business model is centered on providing a subscription-based DBaaS platform that simplifies database management for developers and enterprises. Clients can choose between a serverless model, which automatically scales resources up or down to zero based on demand, or a provisioned mode for predictable workloads requiring dedicated resources. Revenue is generated through usage-based pricing and contract subscriptions, with a "Forever Free Tier" available for development and testing. SkySQL serves a global customer base across various industries, enabling them to run mission-critical applications without the complexity of self-managing database infrastructure.

SkySQL's core service provides robust, scalable, and highly available MySQL and MariaDB deployments on major cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The platform is built on Kubernetes, which allows for cloud-agnostic infrastructure and easier management. Key features include automated provisioning, autonomous scaling, multi-cloud and multi-region replication for disaster recovery, and an intelligent proxy that handles load balancing, read-write splitting, and sub-second failover. A distinguishing aspect is the deep integration of AI. The SkyAI Semantic Agent allows users to interact with their data using natural language, while the SkyCopilot assists developers and DBAs with query optimization, troubleshooting, and performance tuning. For additional support, SkySQL offers SkyDBA, a fractional database administration service providing expert assistance.

Keywords: Database-as-a-Service, DBaaS, managed MariaDB, managed MySQL, cloud database, serverless database, multi-cloud, high availability, database scaling, AI in database, Nithin Rao, Jags Ramnarayan, Saravana Krishnamurthy, database automation, Kubernetes database, cloud migration, database replication, disaster recovery, database observability, intelligent proxy, database load balancing, pay-as-you-go database