# Weaviate
Weaviate is an Amsterdam-based open-source vector database company, legally Weaviate B.V. and formerly named SeMI Technologies, that builds infrastructure for generative AI applications such as chatbots and recommendation systems.[1](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/) • [2](https://www.forbes.com/companies/weaviate/) The company's own site describes the product as combining vector search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and memory in one open-source platform.[3](https://weaviate.io/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019, Amsterdam, Netherlands[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) |
| Founders | Bob van Luijt (CEO), Micha Verhagen, Etienne Dilocker[1](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/) |
| Sector | Vector database / AI infrastructure[2](https://www.forbes.com/companies/weaviate/) |
| Total raised | $67.7 million as of April 2023[5](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/) |
| Largest round | $50 million Series B, April 2023, led by Index Ventures[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) |
| Other investors | Battery Ventures, NEA, Cortical Ventures, Zetta Venture Partners, ING Ventures[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) |
| Status | Operating and independent as of 2026, per its own site; no acquisition or IPO reported[3](https://weaviate.io/) |
## History and founding
CEO Bob van Luijt originally created Weaviate as a free open-source project.[2](https://www.forbes.com/companies/weaviate/) The company behind it was founded in 2019 by van Luijt, Micha Verhagen, and Etienne Dilocker, and operated under the name SeMI Technologies before rebranding around its database.[1](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/) Dealroom, an unverified aggregator, records the company as a corporate spinout from [ING Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/ing-group) in January 2019.[6](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/)
The product predated the generative AI boom, but the company moved quickly to serve it: in February 2023 it introduced generative search support for large language models such as GPT-4, according to the company.[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html)
## Product and technology
Weaviate stores both objects and vectors, allowing developers to combine vector search with structured filtering, with the failure tolerance of a cloud-native database; access is via GraphQL, REST, and client libraries for several programming languages.[1](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/) The database offers prebuilt and custom vectorization modules, meaning the machine-learning models that turn data into vectors can run inside the database rather than as a separately hosted service.[5](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/)
The company claims sub-second search that scales to billions of objects and non-stop operation.[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) SiliconANGLE reported the database can store up to billions of vectors and delivers subsecond query processing in some cases.[5](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/) These performance figures are company claims; no independent benchmark was found in the sources reviewed. The software is compatible with [Amazon Web Services](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-web-services), Google Cloud, and [Snowflake](https://www.edgepedia.org/snowflake).[2](https://www.forbes.com/companies/weaviate/)
## Funding and investors
The April 21, 2023 Series B of $50 million (approximately €45.65 million) was led by [Index Ventures](https://www.edgepedia.org/index-ventures) with participation from Battery Ventures and existing investors NEA, Cortical Ventures, Zetta Venture Partners, and ING Ventures.[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) • [1](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/) The round brought total outside funding to $67.7 million.[5](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/) tech.eu reported the money was earmarked to expand the team and further develop the open-source database and cloud service for the AI application development market.[7](https://tech.eu/2023/04/21/weaviate-raises-50-million-for-its-ai-native-vector-database-and-cloud-service/)
Round-by-round detail comes only from aggregator data and should be treated as unverified: Dealroom records a $1.2 million seed in August 2020 led by Zetta Venture Partners at a $4.8 million valuation, a $17 million Series A in February 2022 at a $66 million valuation, and the $50 million Series B at a $200 million valuation.[6](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/) The $200 million Series B valuation appears only in that aggregator listing and was not confirmed by the press coverage of the round. The competitive context is real, however: the round closed weeks after Chroma, another open-source AI-optimized database startup, raised $16 million.[5](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/)
## Business model and traction
Per unverified aggregator data, the open-source software is free to use and can be self-hosted; the company generates revenue through managed cloud services, including Weaviate Cloud, a serverless, pay-as-you-go option.[6](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/)
Traction figures are almost entirely company claims. Since raising its Series A in early 2022, the company said, open-source downloads passed the 2 million mark, and it launched Weaviate Cloud Service in 2023.[4](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html) Its own site as of 2026 claims over 20 million open-source downloads and thousands of customers.[3](https://weaviate.io/) No independently reported customer, revenue, or headcount figures were found in the sources reviewed.
## Recent developments
The record after April 2023 is thin and rests on unverified aggregator data. Dealroom lists a March 2026 growth-equity financing event from the Ricoh Innovation Fund with the amount undisclosed, which would indicate Weaviate was still operating and raising corporate investment as of early 2026.[6](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/) The same profile estimates revenue of $6.4 million, flat from 2024 to 2026, and headcount falling from 106 in 2024 to 96 in 2025 to 75 in 2026, a 21.9% decline over the past year.[6](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/) A LinkedIn figure of 74 employees and $1.1 million annual revenue conflicts with Dealroom's estimates and was dropped as unverifiable; the true revenue and headcount are unresolved. No independent reporting was found on post-2023 products, funding rounds, layoffs, or acquisitions.
## References
1. [Amsterdam's Weaviate.io secures €45.6M (Silicon Canals)](https://siliconcanals.com/weaviate-io-secures-45-6m/)
2. [Weaviate company overview (Forbes)](https://www.forbes.com/companies/weaviate/)
3. [Weaviate company website](https://weaviate.io/)
4. [Weaviate Raises $50 Million Series B Funding (PR Newswire, April 21, 2023)](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/weaviate-raises-50-million-series-b-funding-to-meet-soaring-demand-for-ai-native-vector-database-technology-301803274.html)
5. [Weaviate reels in $50M for its AI-optimized vector database (SiliconANGLE, April 21, 2023)](https://siliconangle.com/2023/04/21/weaviate-reels-50m-ai-optimized-vector-database/)
6. [Weaviate company profile (Dealroom, unverified aggregator data)](https://dealroom.co/companies/weaviate/)
7. [Weaviate raises $50 million for its AI native vector database and cloud service (tech.eu, April 21, 2023)](https://tech.eu/2023/04/21/weaviate-raises-50-million-for-its-ai-native-vector-database-and-cloud-service/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Business and work › Business and work overview › Companies and corporations › Venture-backed startups and growth companies › Software, internet, and enterprise-technology startups › Data infrastructure and cloud platforms*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license