MariaDB buys its former subsidiary SkySQL to enhance its agentic AI and serverless capabilities

The privately held database company MariaDB plc seems to have changed its mind about the future of SkySQL Inc., deciding it does need it after all. In a somewhat unusual reversal, it revealed it’s buying its former subsidiary for an undisclosed price, just 18 months after it spun it out as a separate entity.

SkySQL is the creator of a powerful serverless, cloud-hosted database-as-a-service platform that’s infused with artificial intelligence capabilities. Originally founded as a subsidiary of MariaDB, it became a standalone entity in December 2023.

Founded in 2009, MariaDB is the creator and lead developer of the popular open-source relational database of the same name. It’s designed to deliver high availability, performance and scalability, and serves as an alternative to platforms such as the Oracle Database. MariaDB’s flagship offering is MariaDB Enterprise server, a fully managed database-as-a-service platform that supports both transactional and analytical workloads.

The services allow businesses to leverage the power of open-source databases in cloud environments with minimal management overhead. It’s used by companies to power mission-critical applications in a range of industries, including finance, e-commerce and telecommunications.

When it was spun off, SkySQL became the exclusive provider of the SkySQL database-as-a-service offering, which is a cloud-hosted and production-grade version of the MariaDB database. The platform is built atop of the Kubernetes orchestration manager for self-contained software environments, better known as containers, which allow applications to run on multiple computing platforms, and can assimilate with any kind of cloud infrastructure.

Having previously kicked SkySQL out, MariaDB now welcomes it back with open arms. SkySQL’s platform will be folded into the MariaDB Cloud offering, which is expected to become a key part of MariaDB’s product lineup, alongside MariaDB Enterprise.

According to MariaDB, its change of heart stems from increased customer expectations for greater flexibility and deployment choice. MariaDB Cloud provides access to a fully provisioned and managed database that can be deployed on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, as well as a serverless mode that allows developers to get started using the service right away.

MariaDB Chief Executive Rohit de Souza said customers have made it clear that they need powerful, reliable database solutions wherever their business takes them, and that might be in the cloud or in hybrid cloud/on-premises environments. “Acquiring SkySQL helps accelerate plans and adds further innovation to MariaDB Cloud,” De Souza said. “It’s a strategic investment in our customers and a decisive step to enhance our ability to provide the comprehensive, modern, world-class database platform our customers need to thrive and maintain a competitive edge.”

SkySQL also boasts some useful agentic AI capabilities in the shape of “SkyAI agents” that make it possible for developers to interact with their data using plain English commands instead of Structured Query Language-based queries. The SkyAI agents are said to minimize so-called “hallucinations” and inaccurate responses by enhancing query precision.

In addition, they integrate with SkySQL’s built-in vector database, so developers can leverage unstructured data for AI more easily. All of these capabilities will now be made available in MariaDB Cloud.

SkySQL Chief Technology Officer Jags Ramnarayan said his company’s platform has evolved rapidly over the past 18 months, and has become a favored choice among developers of AI-driven applications. “As a part of MariaDB again, we are now able to bring [the platform] to customers across the globe faster and more effectively,” he said.

MariaDB said SkySQL’s entire staff will rejoin the company, significantly enhancing its product, engineering, support and go-to-market teams.

Image: SkySQL