Real-time in-memory database vendor Redis is acquiring Speedb and its data storage engine.
A storage engine is used to write data to and read data from storage drives and is written in low-level code. Speedb, a 2020 startup, has developed an API-compatible plug-in replacement for the RocksDB storage engine to accelerate RocksDB-using applications. Redis is a distributed NoSQL database, keeping data on storage drives for persistence, and promoting it to DRAM when needed. It can be used as a database, including vector functions, cache, RAG, streaming engine, or message broker. Redis Enterprise Cloud, a real-time managed database-as-a-service, is offered on AWS.
Redis CEO Rowan Trollope said: “Modern app development and most recently generative AI are fundamentally changing how enterprises value and use their data, and as a result, the demands on developers and data platforms are intensifying. Whether it’s regarding development cycles or user experiences, a lot of this pressure revolves around speed.
“Acquiring Speedb takes Redis beyond RAM, and opens the door for us to serve an integral role in powering today’s most exciting and innovative applications, and supporting the developers that build them.”
The Speedb storage engine fits right into the Redis software stack, and can be used to accelerate its storage drive IO. In fact, Speedb was integrated as the default storage engine in the enterprise auto-tiering functionality launched in Redis 7.2. The GenAI angle is pertinent as Redis has developed its low-latency vector database for AI workloads such as semantic search, LLM semantic caching, and session management. Redis has developed a Redis Vector Library (RedisVL), a streamlined client that enables the use of Redis in AI-driven tasks.
Speedb co-founder and CEO Adi Gelvan said: “As we join the Redis team, we’re excited to scale our technology to thousands of organizations across the globe, and play a critical role in powering the emerging applications that will shape the future.”
A Redis statement says: “Taking full advantage of the advancements in SSD storage and transfer rates that Speedb leverages, Redis will serve the full spectrum of performance and cost requirements for enterprise applications where DRAM is not required – empowering developers across the Redis ecosystem to utilize Redis in more use cases.”
The acquisition cost has not been revealed but is unlikely to exceed seven figures. Speedb has taken in a relatively low $4 million in funding across a November 2020 seed round and a non-equity assistance raise in November 2023.
In the immediate future, Redis is developing Redis Community Edition 7.4, with the addition of hash field expiration and client consolidation features. It will formally release the first version of its Speedb-integrated product later this year with Redis 8.
