IBM announced its intent to acquire DataStax, an AI and data solution provider that will enhance IBM's watsonx portfolio of products to accelerate the use of generative AI and help companies unlock value from vast amounts of unstructured data.
According to the companies the acquisition also builds on IBM's commitment to open-source AI.
DataStax is the creator of AstraDB and DataStax Enterprise, NoSQL and vector database capabilities powered by Apache Cassandra; and Langflow, the open-source tool and community for low-code AI application development.
"Enterprises want to deliver production AI fast but are still struggling to unlock the value in their data to power AI applications and agents," said Chet Kapoor, chairman and CEO of DataStax. "DataStax's products solve this problem, accelerating AI's promise with the scalability, security, and accuracy developers and enterprises need. We've long said that there is no AI without data, and are excited to execute this vision with IBM."
IBM will continue to support, engage, and innovate with the open-source Apache Cassandra, Langflow, Apache Pulsar, and OpenSearch communities in which DataStax participates.
IBM's long-standing commitment to open-source AI includes the open-source IBM Granite foundation models and Instruct Lab, a revolutionary approach to advancing true open-source innovation around LLMs. IBM is a leader in helping clients scale generative AI and transform their business using enterprise data, the company said.
The acquisition of DataStax will enhance these efforts. DataStax’s vector database excels at harnessing unstructured enterprise data and accelerating its time to value, and Langflow provides a graphical, low-code design environment and component orchestration for generative AI apps that facilitates collaboration across diverse skillsets, according to the vendors.
"Businesses cannot realize the full potential of generative AI without the right infrastructure—open-source tools and technologies that empower developers, harness unstructured data, and provide a strong foundation for AI applications," said Dinesh Nirmal, senior vice president, IBM Software. "DataStax possesses deep competency in this area and shares IBM's relentless commitment to simplifying and scaling generative AI for the enterprise."
DataStax's hundreds of customers include FedEx, Capital One, The Home Depot and Verizon. DataStax was founded in 2010, and it’s headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
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