Cloudera

{{Infobox company

| name = Cloudera, Inc.

| logo = Cloudera logo darkorange.png

| logo_size = 220

| type = Private

| founded = {{Start date and age|2008|06|27}}

| founders = Christophe Bisciglia
Amr Awadallah
Jeff Hammerbacher
Mike Olson

| industry = Software
Cloud computing

| location = Santa Clara, California, U.S.

| products = Analytics tools
Big data tools
Data engineering tools
Data science tools
Data warehousing tools
ETL
Machine learning tools
Streaming data tools

| services = Cloud data platform

| key_people = Charles Sansbury (CEO)
Abhas Ricky (CSO)
Frank O'Dowd (CRO)

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.cloudera.com/}}

| owner = Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

| footnotes = {{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1535379/000162828021005632/cldr-20210131.htm | title=Cloudera, Inc. 2021 Form 10-K Annual Report | publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}{{Cite web | url=https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/ecorp/entitysearch/NameSearch.aspx | title=Entity Details | publisher=Delaware}}

}}

Cloudera, Inc. is an American data lake software company.

History

Cloudera, Inc. was formed on June 27, 2008 in Burlingame, California by Christophe Bisciglia, Amr Awadallah, Jeff Hammerbacher, and chief executive Mike Olson.{{cite news | url=https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/bottling-the-magic-behind-google-and-facebook/ | title=Bottling the Magic Behind Google and Facebook | first=Ashlee | last=Vance | work=The New York Times | date=March 16, 2009 | url-access=limited}} Prior to Cloudera, Bisciglia, Awadallah, and Hammerbacher were engineers at Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook respectively, and Olson was a database executive at Oracle after his previous company Sleepycat was acquired by Oracle in 2006.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/technology/business-computing/17cloud.html | title=Hadoop, a Free Software Program, Finds Uses Beyond Search | first=Ashlee | last=Vance | work=The New York Times | date=March 17, 2009 | url-access=limited}} The four were joined in 2009 by Doug Cutting, a co-founder of Hadoop.{{cite web |url=http://www.sdtimes.com/blog/post/2009/08/10/Hadoop-creator-goes-to-Cloudera.aspx |title=Hadoop creator goes to Cloudera |date=10 August 2009 |access-date=2011-03-22 |author=Handy, Alex |publisher=Software Development Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313221400/http://www.sdtimes.com/blog/post/2009/08/10/Hadoop-creator-goes-to-Cloudera.aspx |archive-date=13 March 2012 }}

Cloudera originally offered a free product based on Hadoop, earning revenue by selling support and consulting services around it. In March 2009, the company began offering a commercial distribution of Hadoop.{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=Timothy Prickett |title=Cloudera floats commercial Hadoop distro |url=https://www.theregister.com/2009/03/16/cloudera_hadoop_launch/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=The Register |date=16 March 2009 |language=en}}

In 2009 the company received a $5 million investment led by Accel Partners.{{cite news | url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/03/16/cloudera-raises-5-million-series-a-round-for-hadoop-commercialization/ |title=Cloudera Raises $5 Million Series A Round For Hadoop Commercialization |last=Wauters | first=Robin | work=TechCrunch | date=March 16, 2009}} This was followed by a $25 million funding round in October 2010{{Cite news | url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/cloudera-raises-25-million-for-hadoop-development/ | title=Cloudera Raises $25 Million for Hadoop Development | agency=VentureBeat | work=The New York Times | date=October 27, 2010}} and a $40M funding round in November 2011.{{cite news |last1=Rao |first1=Leena |title=Ignition, Accel, Greylock Put $40M In Apache Hadoop Distribution Platform Cloudera |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/11/07/ignition-accel-greylock-put-40m-in-apache-hadoop-distribution-platform-cloudera/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=TechCrunch |date=7 November 2011}}

In June 2013, Olson transitioned from CEO to Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategy Officer. Tom Reilly, former CEO of ArcSight, was appointed CEO.{{Cite news|last=Morgan|first=Timothy Prickett|date=June 20, 2013|title=Cloudera taps new CEO for inevitable IPO push or acquisition: Former CEO becomes chairman and chief strategist|work=The Register|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/20/cloudera_taps_new_ceo_for_inevitable_ipo_push_or_acquisition/}}

In March 2014, Cloudera raised another $160 million in funding from T. Rowe Price and other investors.{{Cite news|last=Gage|first=Deborah|date=March 18, 2014|title=Cloudera Raises $160 Million From T. Rowe Price, Other Public-Market Investors|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-VCDB-14189|url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news|date=March 18, 2014|title=Startup Cloudera raises $160 mln from T Rowe, Google Ventures|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/cloudera-funding-idCNL2N0MF1UM20140318}}{{Cite news|last=Schubarth|first=Cromwell|date=March 18, 2014|title=Big bucks for Big Data: Cloudera raises $160 million|work=American City Business Journals|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/03/18/big-bucks-for-big-data-cloudera-raising-200.html}} Intel invested $740 million in Cloudera for an 18% stake in the company (a $4.1 billion company valuation).{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-intel-cloudera-idUSBREA2U0ME20140331 |title=Intel invested $740 million to buy 18 percent of Cloudera | first=Noel | last=Randewich | work=Reuters | date=March 31, 2014}} These shares were repurchased by Cloudera in December 2020 for $314 million.{{Cite news|last=Cherney|first=Max A.|date=December 23, 2020|title=Cloudera Buys Back $314 Million Intel Stake. Here's What It Means for the Stock.|work=Barron's|url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/cloudera-buys-back-intel-stake-what-it-means-cloud-stock-51608765490|url-access=subscription}}

On April 28, 2017, the company became a public company via an initial public offering.{{Cite news | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/28/cloudera-ipo-cldr-opening-price-on-first-trading-day.html | title=Cloudera shares close more than 20% higher on Day 1 | last=Balakrishnan | first=Anita | work=CNBC | date=April 28, 2017}} Over the next four years, the company's share price declined in the wake of falling sales figures{{Cite web|first=Ari|last=Levy|date=June 6, 2019|title=Cloudera plummets 43% after CEO abruptly departs and company cuts forecast|website=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/06/cloudera-drops-40percent-after-ceo-tom-reilly-leaves-forecast-cut.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606193106/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/06/cloudera-drops-40percent-after-ceo-tom-reilly-leaves-forecast-cut.html |archive-date=2019-06-06 }} and competition from public cloud services like Amazon Web Services. In October 2018, Cloudera and Hortonworks announced their merger,{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/03/cloudera-and-hortonworks-announce-all-stock-merger.html|title=Cloudera and Hortonworks shares skyrocket as rivals merge|date=3 October 2018 |website=CNBC|first=Jordan|last=Novet}} which the two companies completed the following January.{{cite web|date=3 January 2019|title=Cloudera completes Hortonworks deal, but investors aren't convinced|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/01/03/cloudera-hortonworks-merger-cldr-hdp.html|publisher=American City Business Journals|first=Cromwell|last=Schubarth}} Five months later, CEO Reilly and founder Olson left the company in June 2019. Board member Martin Cole was appointed as temporary CEO.{{Cite web|first=Ari|last=Levy|date=June 6, 2019|title=Cloudera plummets 43% after CEO abruptly departs and company cuts forecast|website=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/06/cloudera-drops-40percent-after-ceo-tom-reilly-leaves-forecast-cut.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606193106/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/06/cloudera-drops-40percent-after-ceo-tom-reilly-leaves-forecast-cut.html |archive-date=2019-06-06 }}

In January 2020, former Hortonworks CEO Rob Bearden was appointed as Cloudera's CEO.{{cite web |last1=Novet |first1=Jordan |title=Cloudera taps former head of the company it merged with to be its new CEO |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/13/cloudera-appoints-former-hortonworks-chief-rob-bearden-as-ceo.html#:~:text=Rob%20Bearden%20was%20CEO%20of,replacing%20interim%20CEO%20Marty%20Cole. |website=CNBC |date=13 January 2020 |access-date=23 January 2022}}

In October 2021, the company went private after an acquisition by KKR and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $5.3 billion.{{cite news | last=Gottfried | first=Miriam | title=KKR, CD&R Strike $5.3 Billion Deal to Buy Cloudera | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/kkr-cd-r-near-deal-to-buy-cloudera-11622510459 | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=June 1, 2021 | url-access=subscription}}

In October 2023, R2 Solutions LLC filed a civil complaint against Cloudera in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas for patent infringement.{{cite news |last1=Calkins |first1=Leurel Brubaker |title=Cloudera Accused of Usurping Patented Data Analytics Technology |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/cloudera-accused-of-usurping-patented-data-analytics-technology |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Bloomberg Law |date=6 October 2023 |language=en}} That same month, StreamScale won a $240 million jury verdict against Cloudera for patent infringement.{{cite news |last1=Brittain |first1=Blake |title=Cloudera hit with $240 million patent verdict over cloud-storage technology |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/cloudera-hit-with-240-mln-patent-verdict-over-cloud-storage-technology-2023-10-13/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Reuters |date=13 October 2023}}

In June 2024, Cloudera acquired Verta, an AI startup specializing in managing large language models. This followed Cloudera's launch of a SaaS data lakehouse and was positioned as a way to strengthen operational AI capabilities.{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Ron |title=Cloudera acquires Verta to bring some AI chops to its data platform |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/03/cloudera-acquires-verta-to-bring-some-ai-chops-to-its-data-platform/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=3 June 2024 |date=3 June 2024}}

Products and services

Cloudera provides the Cloudera Data Platform, a collection of products related to cloud services and data processing.{{Cite web |title=Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) |url=https://www.cloudera.com/products/cloudera-data-platform.html |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Cloudera |language=en}}{{third-party inline|date=March 2024}} Some of these services are provided through public cloud servers such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services, while others are private cloud services that require a subscription. Cloudera markets these products for purposes related to machine learning and data analysis.

Cloudera has adopted the marketing term "data lakehouse," which derives from a combination of the terms "data lake" and "data warehouse."{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Cloudera has formed partnerships with companies such as Dell,{{cite news|last=Menchaca|first=Lionel|date=August 4, 2011|title=Introducing the Dell Cloudera solution for Apache Hadoop — Harnessing the power of big data|work=Dell Technologies|url=https://www.delltechnologies.com/en-us/blog/introducing-the-dell-cloudera-solution-for-hadoop-harnessing-the-power-of-big-data/}} IBM,{{cite web|date=June 21, 2019|title=IBM, Cloudera Announce Strategic Partnership|url=https://newsroom.ibm.com/2019-06-21-IBM-Cloudera-Announce-Strategic-Partnership|publisher=IBM}}{{Cite news|last=Dignan|first=Larry|date=June 21, 2019|title=IBM, Cloudera forge strategic pact|work=ZDNet|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/ibm-cloudera-forge-strategic-pact/}} and Oracle.{{cite press release|url=https://www.cloudera.com/about/news-and-blogs/press-releases/2012-01-10-oracle-selects-cloudera-to-provide-apache-hadoop-distribution-tools.html|title=Oracle Selects Cloudera to Provide Apache Hadoop Distribution and Tools for Oracle Big Data Appliance|publisher=Cloudera|date=January 10, 2012}}{{third-party inline|date=March 2024}}

In 2022, Cloudera announced support for Apache Iceberg.{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Lindsay |title=Cloudera adopts Apache Iceberg tables to show OS commitment |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/01/cloudera_adopts_apache_iceberg_tables/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=The Register |date=1 July 2022 |language=en}}