Confluent, a US-based startup developing a real-time data platform built around its Apache Kafka software, has launched with $6.9m of series A funding from backers including social network LinkedIn.
LinkedIn, which made its first corporate venturing investment as part of the deal, was joined by venture capital firm Benchmark Capital, which led the round, and VC fund Data Collective.
Confluent co-founders Jay Kreps, Neha Narkhede and Jun Rao worked at LinkedIn while helping to develop a horizontally scalable messaging system for big data called Apache Kafka.
Kafka, which is open source, is already used by Goldman Sachs, Uber, Netflix, Pinterest, and Verizon. Confluent intends to commercialise the technology as it continues to be developed.