Microsoft Acquires Big Data Startup Metanautix

Microsoft announced today that it has purchased Metanautix, a big-data focused startup that came out of stealth in 2014. The company was backed by $7 million in capital, including cash from well-known venture firm Sequoia.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to TechCrunch’s prior coverage of Metanautix, the company’s external funding came in majority at the time of its founding in 2012. When the company publicly launched, this publication reported that it had “half a dozen beta customers using [its] software.” Despite that, its run as an independent shop is over.

Microsoft intends to fold Metanautix into its “data platform, including SQL Server and the Cortana Analytics Suite.” For now, the software giant is publicly light on details past those notes.

On its side of things, Metanautix said even less, with its own post tipping the scales at a mere 175 words. It manages to say even less than you might expect, but did find space for its CEO to thank his employees: “It’s been a thrilling ride, but before we begin the next exciting chapter I’d like to take a moment to thank our amazing team who has made all of this possible[.]”

With just $7 million raised, and most of that in years past, it isn’t impossible to guess that the company was light on cash at the time of the sale, heading into a far more challenging fundraising climate than when it launched.

Regardless, Microsoft has new big data blood heading into the new year.