Select Star
Select Star is a data catalog and metadata management platform that helps organizations document, govern, and make sense of their data assets.
Profile
Select Star automatically scans and catalogs data assets across databases, warehouses, and BI tools, providing a searchable inventory, lineage tracking, and natural-language querying for data teams.
Select Star is a data catalog and metadata management platform that helps organizations document, govern, and make sense of their data assets. Founded in 2018 by Shinji Kim, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The platform automatically scans databases, data warehouses, and BI tools to build a searchable inventory of tables, columns, and lineage, reducing the manual effort traditionally required for data documentation.
In January 2023, Select Star raised a $15 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Bowery Capital, Sozo Ventures, and Pebblebed, bringing total funding to $20 million. The company has not disclosed revenue or headcount figures publicly. Its product suite includes a data catalog, data lineage, an Ask AI natural-language query interface, an MCP Server for Data, entity-relationship diagrams, and data access control features.
Select Star markets itself as a 'metadata context platform' for data and AI, emphasizing automated cataloging and semantic model generation. The customer base spans mid-market to enterprise organizations, with named clients including Opendoor, Bose, Intercom, AlphaSense, Xometry, and Fivetran. The company competes in a crowded space against incumbents like Alation, Atlan, and Collibra, as well as open-source alternatives such as Apache Atlas.
Select Star differentiates on ease of deployment and a focus on automated lineage extraction rather than manual curation. As of mid-2025, the company has expanded its integrations and launched an MCP server to support AI agent workflows, reflecting a broader industry push toward making data infrastructure AI-ready. However, the company faces challenges in scaling its sales amid enterprise procurement cycles and competing with better-funded rivals. No recent funding rounds or major product pivots have been reported since the 2023 Series A.
Who buys this
- Data engineering and analytics teams at mid-market to enterprise companies
- Organizations implementing data governance and compliance programs
- Companies migrating data platforms or undergoing data modernization
- Teams preparing data infrastructure for AI and machine learning use cases
- Enterprises with complex, multi-source data environments needing lineage and impact analysis
Publicly disclosed clients
- Opendoor
- Bose
- Intercom
- AlphaSense
- Xometry
- Fivetran
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Automated data lineage extraction reduces manual documentation effort, a key pain point for data teams.
- Named enterprise clients like Opendoor and Bose provide credible social proof for mid-market adoption.
- Integration with modern data stacks (e.g., Fivetran, dbt, Snowflake) aligns with current data architecture trends.
Watch for
- No disclosed revenue or headcount figures make it difficult to assess financial health or growth trajectory.
- Competes in a crowded market with well-funded rivals (Alation, Atlan, Collibra) that have larger sales and marketing budgets.
- No new funding round since January 2023 Series A; may face cash constraints if growth slows or enterprise sales cycles lengthen.
Key Information
- Industry
- Data Governance & Catalog
- Founded
- 2018
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Select Star and what does it do?
Select Star is a data catalog and metadata management platform that automatically scans databases, warehouses, and BI tools to build a searchable inventory of tables, columns, and lineage, reducing manual documentation effort for data teams.
How does Select Star automate data lineage?
Select Star automatically extracts data lineage from your data sources, showing how data flows between tables and reports. This reduces the manual work traditionally needed for documentation and helps teams understand data dependencies and impact of changes quickly.
Who are Select Star's main competitors?
Select Star competes with Alation, Atlan, and Collibra, as well as open-source alternatives like Apache Atlas. It differentiates on ease of deployment and automated lineage extraction rather than manual curation, targeting mid-market to enterprise organizations.
What companies use Select Star?
Notable customers include Opendoor, Bose, Intercom, AlphaSense, Xometry, and Fivetran. These clients span mid-market to enterprise organizations, particularly those with complex, multi-source data environments needing lineage and impact analysis.
How much funding has Select Star raised?
Select Star raised a $15 million Series A round in January 2023 led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Bowery Capital, Sozo Ventures, and Pebblebed. Total funding is $20 million. The company has not disclosed revenue or headcount.
Does Select Star have AI features for querying data?
Yes, Select Star offers Ask AI, a natural-language query interface that lets users ask questions about their data in plain English. It also provides an MCP Server for Data to support AI agent workflows, reflecting a push toward AI-ready data infrastructure.
Sources
- techcrunch.com — Series A funding of $15 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, total funding $20 million, CEO Shinji Kim, company founded 2018.
- www.selectstar.com — Product descriptions (data catalog, lineage, Ask AI, MCP Server, ER diagrams, access control), customer logos (Opendoor, Bose, Intercom, AlphaSense, Xometry, Fivetran), solutions pages.
- www.crunchbase.com — Total funding $20 million, Series A date, headquarters San Francisco.