At the core of every high-performance computing (HPC) and AI system lies a simple truth: the quality and quantity of the data it processes are paramount to its effectiveness.
While the age of AI has brought an explosion of data demand, it has also made clear that simply boosting HPC capabilities is not enough.
Effective data management is equally critical, ensuring data can be processed and accessed efficiently. Meeting the demands of AI workloads requires a balanced approach that combines powerful computing with advanced data management solutions to eliminate bottlenecks and maximize their performance and efficiency.
According to a 2023 global study of AI decision-makers conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence in 2023, data management is the greatest technological hurdle hindering AI/ML deployments. 32% of respondents cited data management as their biggest challenge, outweighing challenges for security (26%) and compute performance (20%).
Enter WEKA, our portfolio company with a software-based solution purpose-built to handle the data needs of large-scale AI and multi-cloud environments, amongst other applications. In this piece, we dig deeper into the growing demand for next-generation storage solutions, and why the WEKA Data Platform is unparalleled in the AI era.
Many aspects of traditional storage solutions make them unfit for modern enterprise data management. One major limitation is that these systems often require copying data before it can be used. For example, if five people need to work on the same dataset for different purposes, it must be copied at least five times. This process is not only time-consuming but also resource-intensive.
Beyond this, traditional data management solutions struggle with the high-speed data access required for real-time analytics in HPC environments, managing large volumes of data generated during AI training across distributed computing nodes, and effectively handling diverse data types and distributed datasets. Additionally, they require extensive maintenance and configuration, leading to operational bottlenecks. All these limitations greatly hinder the performance, scalability, and efficiency of AI model training workflows, which can stifle innovation.
A critical characteristic of these solutions is that they allow direct access to data without the need for duplication. This means multiple users can work on the same dataset simultaneously, which can help dramatically speed up time to market, insights, and discoveries. Next-gen data solutions are built to provide high performance, scalability, flexibility, and robust data management.
WEKA recognized the impending data-storage challenges long before the AI booms, emerging in 2013 with a visionary approach. Co-founders Liran Zvibel, Maor Ben Dayan, and Omri Palmon understood three truths:
In contrast to the prevailing trend of coupling GPU advancements with outdated storage technology, WEKA developed a novel solution: software-based and purpose-built from inception to meet the dynamic demands of modern computing landscapes.
For over a decade, the WEKA team, composed of professionals from industry-leading companies such as IBM, XIV, Intel, NetApp, and EMC, invented a whole set of new algorithms, data structures, control structures, and even new network protocols to unlock the full capabilities for the data center of the future.
Companies leveraging WEKA's platform report significant breakthroughs, accelerating computation speeds by fivefold. Stability AI, a leading GenAI firm, boosted GPU utilization from 30% to 84%, thanks to WEKA, while another client in autonomous driving slashed algorithm training cycles from 14 days to 4 hours, all attributable to the WEKA platform. These unprecedented success stories offer glimpses into the transformative impact WEKA delivers to enterprises seeking next-gen storage solutions.
WEKA's platform doesn't just lead the curve; it defines the curve in data storage innovation. Their recent Series E funding round, led by Valor Equity Partners (known for being an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX, among others), marks another significant milestone in their journey. This capital injection provides ample opportunities for rapid business expansion, perfectly timed to meet surging global demand for AI-native data infrastructure.
At a time when a next-generation approach to data management is paramount, WEKA stands out as the pinnacle of innovation. As investors, we are thrilled to support a company revolutionizing data infrastructure for the AI era.