Seattle startup Era Software Inc. today said that it has secured a $15.25 million funding round to develop data management technology for large-scale enterprise applications. 

Era has built a database, EraDB, that it says is specifically geared toward powering “hyperscale” cloud-native workloads. The platform uses artificial intelligence to automate some of the tasks involved in managing an application’s information. It also features a so-called zero-schema architecture that, according to the startup, allows it to store complex datasets comprising multiple types of records.

EraDB’s AI features automate indexing, a process wherein administrators reduce the amount of time required for applications to find items in a database by creating a collection of information shortcuts. The shortcut collection is known as an index.

Developing and maintaining it can be a complicated task when the associated database is used to store large volumes of information. According to Era Software, EraDB’s ability to automate the process saves time while also simplifying the task of planning for future changes to a company’s application environment.  

Another key selling point of the platform is its zero-schema design. A schema is a description of how records should be formatted when they’re entered into a database. By doing away with the requirement to create fixed formatting rules, EraDB allows companies to store multiple kinds of records in a single environment.

Such centralization makes day-to-day management easier because it removes the need to keep different types of data in different platforms. By removing the need for multiple solutions, Era Software’s approach can theoretically also reduce software licensing fees. That combination has the potential be a cost saver for certain enterprise applications, such as a business intelligence system used to analyze multiple types of information from different parts of a company’s business.

Era Software is pursuing a multipronged go-to-market strategy. The startup plans to use EraDB as the foundation of several specialized data management products each focused on a different segment. The first is EraSearch Cloud, a cloud-based log analytics service that targets use cases such as monitoring the performance of information technology infrastructure. Era Software says the service, which is currently in private beta, is more cost-efficient than the industry standard Elasticsearch log platform and also easier to manage. 

“This is a huge milestone for us as a company and validation of the products that we’ve built,” said Era Software Chief Executive Officer Todd Persen, who previously co-founded database startup InfluxDB Inc. “We continue to hear from businesses of all sizes that are looking to embrace a new generation of storage technologies like EraSearch that can deliver an easy-to-manage experience with a low TCO” or total cost of ownership.

The $15.25 million round the startup today was provided by Playground Global, Foundation Capital, Array Ventures and a group of angel investors. It comes 15 months after Era Software’s seed round, a time frame during which the startup closed its first six-figure production contract and increased its headcount from two employees to 20.

Era Software expects to make more hires as it works to build additional products based on EraDB.

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