Databricks bought two startups to underpin its new AI security product
Why it matters: Databricks is aggressively entering AI security, leveraging key acquisitions to build a formidable new product.
- Databricks launched Lakewatch, an AI-powered security product leveraging Anthropic's Claude for threat detection and investigation.
- Antimatter was acquired by Databricks in an undisclosed deal last year, contributing its 'data control plane' technology for secure agent deployment.
- SiftD.ai, a very young startup founded by former Splunk chief scientist Steve Zhang, was acquired recently, bringing its interactive notebook technology and likely serving as an acquihire.
- Andrew Krioukov, Antimatter's founder, is now leading the Lakewatch team at Databricks, indicating the strategic importance of his startup's IP.
- Steve Zhang, SiftD.ai's co-founder, brings significant expertise from his time at Splunk, where he created the Search Processing Language.
Databricks, flush with capital, has launched Lakewatch, a new AI-powered security product designed to perform SIEM tasks with the help of Anthropic's Claude. This strategic move was underpinned by the acquisitions of two small but impactful startups: Antimatter, which provides secure agent deployment, and SiftD.ai, known for its interactive notebook for human-AI collaboration.
