Acryl Data
Acryl Data, founded in 2020 by Shirshanka Das and Swaroop Jagadish, commercializes the open-source metadata platform DataHub, originally built at LinkedIn.
Profile
Acryl Data provides a managed data catalog platform, based on the open-source DataHub, that helps organizations discover, understand, and govern their data assets.
Acryl Data, founded in 2020 by Shirshanka Das and Swaroop Jagadish, commercializes the open-source metadata platform DataHub, originally built at LinkedIn. The company emerged from stealth in June 2021 with a $9 million seed round led by 8VC, with participation from LinkedIn and Insight Partners. In June 2023, Acryl raised a $21 million Series A round, also led by 8VC, to expand its enterprise data catalog platform.
As of mid-2026, Acryl Data has not disclosed its annual revenue or headcount publicly. The company's core product, Acryl DataHub, is a managed version of the open-source DataHub, offering data discovery, data lineage, and data governance capabilities. The platform integrates with a wide range of data sources, including data warehouses, data lakes, and streaming systems.
Acryl competes in the data catalog and metadata management market against players like Alation, Collibra, and Atlan. The company's open-source heritage is a key differentiator, fostering a large community of contributors and users. However, the company faces challenges in converting open-source users into paying customers and in differentiating its managed offering from the free, self-hosted version of DataHub.
Acryl's customer base includes enterprises in technology, finance, and healthcare, though the company has not publicly named specific clients. The most recent funding round was in 2023, and there is no public information about subsequent rounds or an exit. The company's strategic focus remains on scaling its sales and marketing efforts to capture a larger share of the growing data catalog market.
Who buys this
- Large enterprises with complex data ecosystems needing centralized metadata management
- Technology companies managing diverse data sources and requiring data lineage for compliance
- Financial services firms using data catalogs for regulatory reporting and risk management
- Healthcare organizations needing to track data provenance for research and patient data governance
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Open-source foundation: DataHub has a large and active open-source community, which drives adoption and provides a pipeline of potential enterprise customers.
- Strong engineering team: Co-founders have deep experience at LinkedIn and Airbnb, bringing credibility and technical expertise in building scalable data infrastructure.
- Product maturity: The managed DataHub platform offers a comprehensive set of features for data discovery, lineage, and governance, competing with established vendors.
Watch for
- Conversion challenge: The company must effectively convert users of the free open-source DataHub into paying customers for the managed Acryl DataHub, a common hurdle for open-core business models.
- Competitive pressure: The data catalog market is crowded with well-funded competitors like Alation, Collibra, and Atlan, which may limit Acryl's market share growth.
- Funding gap: With no disclosed funding since the $21 million Series A in 2023, the company may face challenges in scaling sales and marketing without additional capital.
Key Information
- Industry
- Data Governance & Catalog
- Founded
- 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Acryl Data and what does it do?
Acryl Data provides a managed data catalog platform based on the open-source DataHub. It helps organizations discover, understand, and govern their data assets. The platform offers data discovery, data lineage, and data governance capabilities for enterprises.
How is Acryl Data related to the open-source DataHub project?
Acryl Data commercializes the open-source metadata platform DataHub, originally built at LinkedIn. Its core product, Acryl DataHub, is a managed version of DataHub. This open-source heritage fosters a large community of contributors and users, which drives adoption.
Who founded Acryl Data and when was it started?
Acryl Data was founded in 2020 by Shirshanka Das and Swaroop Jagadish. Both co-founders have deep experience at LinkedIn and Airbnb, bringing credibility and technical expertise in building scalable data infrastructure for the data catalog market.
What funding has Acryl Data raised so far?
Acryl Data emerged from stealth in June 2021 with a $9 million seed round led by 8VC. In June 2023, it raised a $21 million Series A round, also led by 8VC. No subsequent funding rounds or exits have been publicly disclosed.
What are the main features of Acryl DataHub?
Acryl DataHub offers data discovery, data lineage, and data governance capabilities. It integrates with a wide range of data sources, including data warehouses, data lakes, and streaming systems. The platform helps enterprises manage complex data ecosystems and ensure compliance.
How does Acryl Data compete with other data catalog vendors?
Acryl Data competes with Alation, Collibra, and Atlan in the data catalog market. Its open-source foundation is a key differentiator, fostering a large community. However, it faces challenges converting free open-source users into paying customers for its managed offering.
Sources
- techcrunch.com — Company founding, $9 million seed round, and origin of DataHub from LinkedIn.
- techcrunch.com — $21 million Series A funding round in June 2023 and product focus on enterprise data catalog.
- ir.applieddigital.com — Example of a press release from a company that is not Acryl Data, used to demonstrate the research process.
- grail.com — Example of a press release from a company that is not Acryl Data, used to demonstrate the research process.