Cdata
CData Software, founded in 2016 by Amit Sharma in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a data connectivity platform that emerged from /n software with a mission to simplify access to fragmented enterprise data.
Profile
Enterprise data connectivity and integration platform that connects AI agents, analytics tools, and applications to live data across hundreds of enterprise systems via drivers, APIs, and a managed MCP service.
CData Software, founded in 2016 by Amit Sharma in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a data connectivity platform that emerged from /n software with a mission to simplify access to fragmented enterprise data. The company started by building ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET drivers that allowed standard SQL tools to query SaaS platforms directly, reducing integration time for analytics teams. Over the past decade, CData expanded its product portfolio to include CData Sync (ETL/ELT), CData Arc (EDI and file transfer), and CData Embed (connectivity for software vendors).
CData's market position solidified through aggressive funding: $140 million Series A in 2021 from Updata Partners, followed by approximately $350 million Series C in June 2024 led by Warburg Pincus with participation from Accel, valuing the company at over $800 million. The company crossed $100 million ARR by late 2024 (though some sources report $53.4M in 2025), growing over 40% year-on-year.
In April 2024, CData acquired Data Virtuality, a German data virtualization platform, to strengthen its enterprise offerings. By 2025–26, CData pivoted toward AI data infrastructure, launching CData Connect AI—a managed Model Context Protocol (MCP) platform that provides Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI agents with live, governed access to enterprise systems (Salesforce, Workday, SAP, NetSuite, and 350+ sources). This positions CData as a foundational layer for AI agents that need reliable, real-time data.
The company serves over 10,000 organizations globally, including Office Depot, Holiday Inn, FedEx, GSK, Palantir Technologies, Anthropic, and Google. It earned recognition in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools (second consecutive year), Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers 2026, and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (fourth consecutive year). Employees rate the company 3.8 out of 5 on Glassdoor, with 68% recommending it; mixed reviews cite strong product and growth but point to leadership inconsistency as the company scales.
Products by Cdata
- C CData Arc CData Arc is a visual workflow designer for enterprise-grade managed file transfer (MFT) and electronic data interchange (EDI), Be the first to review →
- C CData Connect AI CData Connect AI is a managed Model Context Protocol (MCP) platform designed for enterprises needing live, governed access Be the first to review →
- C CData Embed CData Embed provides live, read-write access to more than 350 business systems without requiring data replication or movement. Be the first to review →
Who buys this
- Enterprises building AI agents and copilots (e.g., Fortune 500 companies integrating Claude or ChatGPT with SAP, Salesforce, Workday)
- Data analytics and BI teams using Snowflake, BigQuery, Tableau, and Power BI to access SaaS and on-premise sources
- Software vendors embedding data connectivity into their products (OEM and Embed business unit)
- Mid-market businesses automating ETL/ELT workflows with CData Sync to centralize data warehouses
Publicly disclosed clients
- GSK
- Palantir Technologies
- Salesforce
- Anthropic
- Office Depot
- FedEx
- Holiday Inn
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Broad connector library: 350+ data sources with pre-built integrations reduces custom development and time-to-value
- AI-first positioning: CData Connect AI (managed MCP) gives enterprise customers a turnkey way to connect Claude, ChatGPT, and agents to live data, differentiating from Fivetran and Matillion
- Acquisition of Data Virtuality (April 2024) added modern cloud-native data virtualization, expanding TAM into enterprise data fabric and lakehouse architectures
Watch for
- ARR growth trajectory uncertain: Announced $100M ARR target for end of 2024 but 2025 reports show ~$53.4M; guidance misses and market expectations may affect future funding and valuation
- Glassdoor feedback flagged leadership inconsistency and frequent decision reversals; as the company scales past 300+ employees, organizational clarity and retention will be critical
- AI MCP market still nascent; CData's Connect AI success depends on adoption of Claude and other agents in enterprises—if agentic AI adoption stalls, the unit may face revenue headwinds
Recent moves
- 3mo ago CData appoints Raviv Levi as Chief Product and Technology Officer; expands executive team with Amit Naik and Craig Sanchez
- 6mo ago CData Connect AI achieves 98.5% accuracy on real-world enterprise queries, outperforming competing MCP providers by 25+ percentage points
- 6mo ago CData named to Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers 2026, recognizing strong growth, employee satisfaction, and innovation in AI-driven data connectivity
- 9mo ago CData recognized for second consecutive year in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, advancing in both Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision
- 9mo ago CData appoints Ken Yagen, former MuleSoft executive, as Chief Product Officer to drive product innovation
Key Information
- Industry
- ETL/ELT/Data Transformation
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cdata?
Cdata is an enterprise data connectivity platform founded in 2016 that enables organizations to connect AI agents, analytics tools, and applications to live data across hundreds of different enterprise systems via drivers, APIs, and a managed Model Context Protocol service.
How does Cdata work with AI agents?
Cdata Connect AI is a managed Model Context Protocol platform that provides enterprise customers a turnkey solution to connect AI agents like Claude and ChatGPT to live, governed access across enterprise systems including Salesforce, Workday, SAP, NetSuite, and over 350 other data sources.
What products does Cdata offer?
Cdata offers multiple data connectivity products: Connect AI for AI agent integration, Sync for ETL/ELT workflows, Arc for EDI and file transfer, and Embed for vendors integrating connectivity into their software. Data Virtuality, acquired in 2024, provides cloud-native data virtualization capabilities.
Who are Cdata's customers?
Cdata serves over 10,000 organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies building AI agents, analytics teams using Snowflake and BigQuery, software vendors embedding connectivity, and mid-market businesses automating ETL workflows. Notable customers include GSK, Palantir, Anthropic, Salesforce, FedEx, and Google.
How much funding has Cdata raised?
Cdata raised $140 million in Series A funding in 2021 from Updata Partners, followed by approximately $350 million in Series C funding in June 2024 led by Warburg Pincus with Accel participation, valuing the company at over $800 million. The company achieved over 40% year-on-year growth.
What awards has Cdata won?
Cdata earned recognition in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools for the second consecutive year, Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers 2026, and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 for the fourth consecutive year. Connect AI achieved 98.5% accuracy on enterprise queries, outperforming competitors by 25+ percentage points.
How Cdata compares
Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
Cdata
- Positioning
- Enterprise data connectivity and integration platform that connects AI agents, analytics tools, and applications to live data across hundreds of enterprise systems via drivers, APIs, and a managed MCP service.
- Customer segments
- Enterprises building AI agents and copilots (e.g., Fortune 500 companies integrating Claude or ChatGPT with SAP, Salesforce, Workday)
- Strengths
- Broad connector library: 350+ data sources with pre-built integrations reduces custom development and time-to-value
- Watch for
- ARR growth trajectory uncertain: Announced $100M ARR target for end of 2024 but 2025 reports show ~$53.4M; guidance misses and market expectations may affect future funding and valuation
- Recent moves
- CData appoints Raviv Levi as Chief Product and Technology Officer; expands executive team with Amit Naik and Craig Sanchez
Fivetran
- Positioning
- Market-standard managed ELT pipeline service for data engineering teams needing reliable connectors at scale.
- Customer segments
- Data engineers and analytics teams at mid-market and enterprise companies, primarily on cloud warehouses.
- Strengths
- 740+ pre-built connectors with fully managed schema migration, handling 18 trillion monthly rows with 30% YoY growth.
- Watch for
- January 2026 pricing changes (per-connector base charge, deletes billed as MAR) caused reported 50-100% bill increases.
- Recent moves
- October 2025: announced all-stock merger with dbt Labs, combining approximately $600M ARR under George Fraser as CEO.
MuleSoft
- Positioning
- Enterprise integration and API management platform, owned by Salesforce, for complex multi-system orchestration.
- Customer segments
- Enterprise IT architects and integration developers at large organizations running 20 or more system integrations.
- Strengths
- Anypoint Platform unifies API management, ESB, and agent governance in one vCore-licensed control plane.
- Watch for
- Pricing runs approximately 60% above competitors; Salesforce bundled deals create lock-in and opaque cost attribution at renewal.
- Recent moves
- Winter 2026 release launched Agent Fabric (Agent Registry, Broker, Visualizer, Governance) targeting enterprise AI agent sprawl.
Matillion
- Positioning
- Cloud-native ELT platform for teams standardized on a single cloud warehouse, bridging no-code and advanced pipelines.
- Customer segments
- Mid-market and enterprise data engineers on Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, or Azure Synapse.
- Strengths
- GUI-driven ELT with native push-down transformations inside Snowflake, Redshift, and BigQuery warehouses.
- Watch for
- Credit-based pricing causes bill unpredictability, with reported overruns of $60K-$300K per year above initial estimates.
- Recent moves
- June 2025: launched Maia agentic AI suite at Snowflake Summit, covering ingestion, transformation, and orchestration via natural language.
Sources
- www.cdata.com — Company mission, products (Connect AI, Sync, Arc, Embed), customers (GSK, Palantir, Anthropic, Google), positioning as AI data layer, 10,000+ customers
- www.crunchbase.com — Funding rounds and amounts: Series A $140M (2021), Series C $350M (June 2024), $800M+ valuation, investors (Updata Partners, Accel, Warburg Pincus), 7,000–10,000 customers
- warburgpincus.com — Series C funding $350M June 2024, Warburg Pincus lead, Accel participation, $800M+ valuation, 40%+ YoY growth, $100M ARR target for end of 2024
- www.cdata.com — Executive leadership team: Amit Sharma (CEO/Founder), Raviv Levi (CPTO), Matt Webb (CFO), Adam DeMichele (CRO), Will Davis (CMO), and 20+ senior leaders across engineering, sales, marketing, HR, security
- businessmodelcanvastemplate.com — Company founding May 22, 2014 (incorporated; operationally 2016), Amit Sharma founder/CEO, spun from /n software, mission addressing API sprawl, 100+ connectors by 2017, Data Virtuality acquisition 2024, $100M ARR achievement
- www.businesswire.com — Acquisition of Data Virtuality (April 4, 2024), Data Virtuality customers include BSH, NYU, Crédit Agricole, PartnerRe, purpose to modernize data virtualization for enterprise
- www.prnewswire.com — 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools inclusion (second consecutive year), Strong Performers quadrant in Gartner Peer Insights, continued investment in AI integration
- www.glassdoor.com — Employee satisfaction: 3.8/5 stars, 68% would recommend, mixed feedback on leadership consistency and culture
- getlatka.com — Revenue/ARR data: 2025 ARR $53.4M (discrepancy with $100M target announced for end of 2024)
- www.cdata.com — CData Connect AI partnership with Anthropic, Claude integration, managed MCP platform for enterprise data access