SkySQL Inc., a startup with a cloud-based relational database service, today disclosed that it has raised $6.6 million in seed funding.

Eniac Ventures, Good Capital and WTI provided the capital.

SkySQL launched last year after spinning out from MariaDB plc, a company that commercializes a popular open-source database of the same name. The software is a faster, more scalable version of another database called MySQL that is likewise widely used. SkySQL’s namesake cloud service offers MariaDB and MySQL environments hosted in the cloud. 

The company provides its service in two editions.

The first version, Provisioned Mode, allows users to configure how much infrastructure should be allocated to their databases. The other edition is called Serverless Mode and automatically adds or removes hardware based on workload requirements. It thus avoids the need for overprovisioning, the practice of allocating more hardware to a database than is usually needed to address unexpected usage spikes. 

SkySQL can replicate a database environment across several of a cloud provider’s data centers. When needed, it also distributes replicas across multiple clouds. If one of the servers on which the database runs experiences technical issues, a failover mechanism can switch to the other nodes in under a second.

SkySQL’s failover features are powered by a proxy that also doubles as a load balancer. It distributes user requests among the servers that power a database environment, which avoids situations where one machine receives most of the queries and becomes overloaded. The proxy can also retry failed data changes to ensure file modifications are not lost.

To make its database service easier to use, SkySQL offers two AI features called Semantic Agents and SkyCopilot.

The former capability allows users to create artificial intelligence agents that interact with information in their databases. An agent could, for example, analyze a collection of sales logs stored in SkySQL and identify the most popular product. Developers can create agents using natural language instructions. 

SkySQL used the technology that underpins Semantic Agents to build SkyCopilot, its other flagship AI feature. The latter tool provides pointers on how to troubleshoot database issues and change settings. Additionally, it can help users optimize the way that SkySQL runs queries to reduce their infrastructure usage and thereby cut costs. 

“As businesses increasingly rely on AI, it’s essential to trust the answers derived from critical data,” said SkySQL Chief Executive Officer Nithin Rao. “Our goal is to ensure companies have confidence in the insights driving their most important decisions.”

SkySQL disclosed on occasion of today’s funding announcement that its platform has been adopted by more than 40 customers to date. 

Image: SkySQL