Databricks Acquires 8080 Labs - Expanding Low-Code/No-Code

Databricks Acquires 8080 Labs and Bamboolib

Databricks has announced the acquisition of 8080 Labs, a German startup responsible for developing bamboolib. Bamboolib is a graphical user interface (GUI) designed for use with Pandas, a widely-used Python library for data analysis and manipulation.

The tool enables data scientists to efficiently explore and transform their datasets without the necessity of writing code. 8080 Labs provided both a free community version and a paid professional edition of bamboolib, offering enhanced features for enterprise-level applications.

Integration with the Lakehouse Platform

Databricks intends to integrate bamboolib’s user interface-driven functionalities into its Lakehouse Platform. This integration will expand the platform’s low-code/no-code capabilities, making data science more accessible.

This acquisition represents Databricks’ first since completing its $1.6 billion Series H funding round in August. CEO Ali Ghodsi previously stated the funding was intended to strengthen the company’s competitive position.

Expanding User Accessibility

The acquisition, alongside last year’s purchase of Redash, signifies a broadening of Databricks’ target audience. The company is now focusing on users who prefer low-code/no-code solutions.

“Providing simplified capabilities within Databricks is a crucial step towards empowering a larger number of individuals within organizations to easily analyze and explore substantial data volumes,” Ghodsi explained in the official announcement.

Empowering Citizen Data Scientists

This move also highlights a renewed focus on attracting citizen data scientists – individuals who may lack extensive coding expertise. Databricks aims to enable broader participation in data analysis.

As data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) become increasingly vital for businesses, it’s essential that all organizational members can access and utilize data effectively. The company’s automated machine learning tools, combined with the new UI features, will facilitate greater data value extraction.

Professional developers will also benefit, being able to construct data transformations using the UI and then export the corresponding Python code for customized implementations.

8080 Labs’ Perspective

Tobias Krabel, co-founder of 8080 Labs, stated the company was founded to simplify complex data tasks. Their goal was to make the power of data science and machine learning available to data teams with varying levels of skill.

“With open-source foundations and a compelling vision for reshaping the data landscape through the lakehouse approach, we foresee significant opportunities with Databricks,” Krabel added. “We are thrilled to join their team.”

Acquisition Details

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Initially, it was reported that 8080 Labs had not received external funding prior to the sale.

Correction: 8080 Labs did receive angel investment from four business angels, although the specifics of this funding were not publicly revealed.