Kyligence
Kyligence sells an OLAP engine and metrics layer built on Apache Kylin, based in China and the US.
On the record
Checkpoint: Whether Kyligence announces a new funding round after its five-year gap since Series D
The call
Kyligence still holds ground in China banking with its Kylin-based metrics layer, but no new funding since 2021 and warehouse-native AI features from Snowflake and Databricks are closing in on its core pitch.
Kyligence builds software that helps businesses query and organize their data faster. The problem: Snowflake, Databricks, and Microsoft Power BI are all adding the same features directly into their own products, and they have way more money and customers to push these tools out. Kyligence hasn't raised new funding since 2021, and its team hasn't grown, which suggests the company is running out of runway. The only thing that might save it is if its customers in Chinese banks and financial companies are locked in so tightly they cannot switch, but there is no proof that these relationships are growing or just staying flat.
Why
01
AI pressure: Snowflake Cortex, Databricks AI/BI, and Azure OpenAI powering warehouse-native semantic layers. Warehouse AI features now answer metric questions directly, so buyers see less reason to add a separate semantic layer from Kyligence. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Power BI. Snowflake Semantic Views, Databricks Metric Views, and Power BI's semantic layer now ship the same metrics-consistency feature Kyligence charges for. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. China banking and insurance clients that need on-prem, data-residency-compliant deployments foreign clouds cannot easily serve.
What would change this call
Kyligence announces a new funding round within 6-12 months. Would show investors still believe in the company's durability despite the funding gap.
Crustdata or similar trackers show headcount rising above 118 in next reports. Would indicate hiring rebound rather than continued capital-starvation fade.
Kyligence appears or disappears from 2026-2027 semantic-layer analyst round-ups. Would show whether analysts still view it as a relevant competitor.
Crustdata or similar trackers show headcount rising above 118 in next reports. Would indicate hiring rebound rather than continued capital-starvation fade.
Kyligence appears or disappears from 2026-2027 semantic-layer analyst round-ups. Would show whether analysts still view it as a relevant competitor.
Key numbers
- $70M Series D raised, led by SPDB International
- 118 employees, 0% YoY headcount growth
- No new funding round disclosed in over 5 years
Named risks
- No disclosed funding round since April 2021, over five years of capital silence.
- Core OLAP and metrics-layer value increasingly replicated natively by Snowflake and Databricks.
- Absent from most 2026 semantic-layer analyst and community roundups, losing mindshare.
- AI layer (Copilot) built on rented Azure OpenAI rather than proprietary model, limits defensibility.
- Flat headcount growth (0% YoY as of 2026-06) signals limited expansion capacity.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Snowflake | gaining on | Shipped native Semantic Views reducing need for standalone metrics layers, as of 2026-06 |
| Databricks | gaining on | Shipped native Metric Views commoditizing OLAP/metrics-layer value, as of 2026-06 |
| Microsoft Power BI | gaining on | Cited as GigaOm Leader and Outperformer in semantic layers, 2026-06-08 |
| dbt Labs (post-Fivetran merger) | gaining on | Merger closed 2026-06-01, launched Agents Schema for AI metric context |
| AtScale | contesting | Named as closest direct OLAP/enterprise BI peer in comparison sites, 2026 |
| Cube | contesting | Noted as GigaOm 2025 Outperformer in headless semantic-layer category |
Questions people ask
- Is Kyligence profitable in 2026?
- Kyligence is a private company with no audited financials disclosed. Third-party revenue estimates exist but are unconfirmed aggregator figures, not company-reported numbers. As of June 2026 the firm has raised no new funding since its $70M Series D in April 2021, suggesting no fresh capital validation of growth or profitability.
- Could AI replace Kyligence's product?
- Kyligence's core OLAP and metrics-layer value is increasingly replicated natively by Snowflake Semantic Views and Databricks Metric Views, per 2026 analyst comparisons. Its own AI layer, Kyligence Copilot, runs on rented Azure OpenAI infrastructure rather than proprietary technology, per AIChief's July 2026 review, weakening its differentiation.
- Who is Kyligence's biggest competitor?
- Kyligence competes in the semantic-layer category against AtScale, Cube, dbt Labs, and warehouse incumbents Snowflake, Databricks, and Microsoft Power BI. As of June 2026 comparison sites like Basedash and Coginiti list these rivals prominently while Kyligence is largely absent from the same 2026 roundups.
- Who owns Kyligence?
- Kyligence is privately held and VC-backed, founded in 2016 by creators of Apache Kylin. Its Series D ($70M, April 2021) was led by SPDB International with participation from CICC, Gopher Asset Management, Redpoint Ventures China, Shunwei Capital, and Eight Roads Ventures/Fidelity. No public ticker exists.
- Has Kyligence raised funding recently?
- No. Kyligence's most recent disclosed funding round was a $70 million Series D in April 2021, led by SPDB International. As of June 2026, a Crustdata tracker described the company's momentum as 'quiet, no recent growth signals,' marking over five years without a new round.
- What is Kyligence's flagship product?
- Kyligence is the commercial steward of the open-source Apache Kylin OLAP engine, originally built at eBay's China Center. Its current flagship products are Kyligence Zen, a metrics platform that reached general availability in April 2023, and Kyligence Copilot, an AI query assistant built on Azure OpenAI.
Timeline
- 2026-07-14Kyligence Copilot reviewed by AIChief, confirmed built on Azure OpenAI
- 2026-06-20Headcount reported at 118, 0% YoY growth, Crustdata Growth Score 31/100
- 2026-06-08Kyligence absent from most 2026 best-semantic-layer analyst roundups
- 2026-06-01dbt Labs and Fivetran merger completes, introduces Agents Schema for AI metrics
- 2025-10-01McDonald's cited as customer signal via Caplight secondary-market data
- 2023-04-10Kyligence Zen metrics platform reaches general availability
- 2022-06-28Kyligence Zen enters private beta with AI-augmented capabilities
- 2021-04-21Series D closes at $70M, led by SPDB International
- 2019-03-28Series C closes at $25M, led by Coatue Management
- 2018-07-18Series B closes at $15M
Revision history
26 July 2026
First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations (2026-02-01)
- Kyligence Receives $70 Million in Funding Round to Power Cloud and AI Innovations (2021-04-21)
- Kyligence Announces $15M Series B Funding Round (2018-07-18)
- Kyligence raises $25m in series C funding (2019-03-28)
- Kyligence Raises $70 Million Series D Funding Round (2021-04-21)
- Kyligence - Headcount, Funding & Open Jobs (2026-06-20)
- Revenue, Competitors, Alternatives (2022-03-23)
- Kyligence - Overview, News & Similar companies (2023-08-22)
- Kyligence Stock Price, Funding, Valuation, Revenue & Financial Statements (2021-04-19)
- Valuation, Funding Rounds & Stock Price (2025-10-01)
- Kyligence Transforms Metrics Analysis with Low-Code Intelligent Platform (2023-04-10)
- Kyligence Copilot Review, Cost, Use Cases & Alternatives [2026] (2026-07-14)