Meet CODE_n finalist SQream Technologies

02/06/2014  |  CODE_n Alumni, CODE_n14 Startup CONTEST, Interview

Ami Gal is co-founder and CEO of SQream Technologies (Israel)

Ami Gal is co-founder and CEO of SQream Technologies (Israel)

SQream Technologies uses graphics processors to capture, store, and process big data within seconds – users get data insights 100 times faster than usual. Big data analytics, once considered unattainable, can now be achieved in a matter of seconds with SQream’s hassle-free, robust analytic database.

Ami Gal is co-founder and CEO of SQream Technologies. He brings over 20 years of hands-on technology and executive management to the startup and is a true entrepreneur at heart. We interviewed him about his thoughts on big data technologies, the startup scene in Israel, and his expectations for CeBIT.

You have a patent pending for your technology. How did you come up with the idea behind this solution?

Using GPUs to crank through loads of data has been an idea that I’ve considered since 1997, when I first tried using GPUs to accelerate call center apps.  It worked, but not fast enough. Later on I met Kostya Varakin, Co-Founder and CTO of SQream Technologies, who was using GPUs to accelerate SQL analytics. A bottle of vodka and a bump on the head later… Eureka! I came up with the idea to create the fastest Big Data database powered by GPUs.

What benefits do your products offer to companies and partners?

At SQream Technologies, we make the process of Big Data analytics hassle-free, fast and cost-effective. Our high-performance Big Data database is unique because it functions on GPUs (graphic processing units) to provide blazingly fast analytics. This allows our technology to perform up to 100x faster than Oracle and Microsoft SQL and act faster than Teradata. Additionally, very little hardware is needed with our cutting-edge technology. A single standard 2U server is the only requirement, which means more space, energy and overall cost savings. No ETL, coding or indexes are needed either, making Big Data achievable for SMEs and companies seeking a smarter Big Data solution.

Israel has a very active startup community. What does the government offer to founders to foster a blossoming startup environment?

First of all, Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist offers multiple international, national and corporate funding options to accelerate an entrepreneur and technology risk taking environment. SQream Technologies is definitely using some of these tools to promote our company and raise funding. Basically, the Israeli government provides a supportive platform for entrepreneurs getting started in the startup world by opening doors internationally and providing a lot of support.

What are your expectations for CODE_n? Do you have anything particular in mind?

We want to show everyone at CODE_n that SQream Technologies is disrupting the Big Data market. We have created an extremely fast Big Data database and we are going to take this opportunity to explain our technology and the benefits of using GPUs to speed up the Big Data analytics process. So many data driven companies are frightened just by the term, “Big Data” and we want to get the message across that Big Data analytics can now be hassle-free, cost-effective and fast thanks to our ground-breaking technology.