AWS Acquires DuckLabs, Developer of Open-Source Database DuckDB

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has acquired DuckLabs, the primary development and support company behind the widely used open-source analytical database DuckDB. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DuckDB is an embedded, in-process OLAP database written in C++. Unlike traditional DBMS server software, it runs within a host process, requiring no separate installation or maintenance. Released initially in 2022 by academics from Amsterdam's Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, DuckDB quickly gained a strong following among developers and data analysts. It achieved its 1.0 release in 2024, and has since expanded into data lakes with DuckLake, using DuckDB as metadata storage to address the “small files problem” in data lake environments.

AWS has been a long-time admirer of DuckDB. Andy Warfield, AWS vice president and distinguished engineer, told The Register last year that the DuckLake announcement had “captured people’s imaginations” within the cloud giant. The two teams have also collaborated around S3 Tables, announced in December 2024, to ensure “first-class support for S3 Tables in DuckDB,” according to DuckLabs co-founder and CEO Hannes Mühleisen.

AWS has stated that DuckDB and all related projects will remain free and open source under their MIT licenses. The nonprofit DuckDB Foundation, led by Mühleisen and DuckLabs CTO Mark Raasveldt, will continue to guide the project. In a statement, Warfield said: “A lot of what has made DuckDB so successful is the fact that it is completely open source and easily embeddable in so many types of applications. We are committed to the project's continued development in open source and under the stewardship of the DuckDB Foundation.”

Mühleisen noted that the acquisition could lead to a stronger role for the Foundation, particularly in avoiding potential conflicts of interest with other large technology companies. The foundation may add a Technical Advisory Board to give stakeholders a formal communication channel. “We are thinking about adding a Technical Advisory Board to the Foundation, so that whoever is betting on DuckDB can come together in the Board and have a communication channel through the Foundation, which stays independent,” Mühleisen said.

The DuckLabs team will remain based in Amsterdam.

Why This Matters

Cloud giants acquiring popular open-source projects is a recurring theme that stirs debate about vendor neutrality and long-term openness, especially for developers who depend on DuckDB in their stacks.
DuckDB's “in-process” analytics model is deeply embedded in Python, R, and other ecosystems—any shift in its governance or direction could affect data toolchains across the industry.
The move signals AWS's intent to deepen its investment in analytical data processing and lakehouse architectures, potentially reshaping competition with other cloud providers.

Background

DuckDB originated from academic research at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam and was released publicly in 2022. Its lightweight, embeddable design made it a popular alternative to heavier OLAP databases like Apache Spark or Presto for smaller-scale analytics. DuckLabs was founded by the original creators Mühleisen and Raasveldt to provide commercial support and drive development. In 2024, DuckDB reached version 1.0 and expanded into data lake storage with DuckLake. AWS has been publicly enthusiastic about the project, and the two organizations collaborated on S3 Tables integration. The acquisition follows a pattern of cloud providers acquiring open-source database companies—e.g., Google acquiring Agones, Microsoft acquiring Citus Data—to embed key technology into their platforms.

Key Perspectives

DuckLabs (Hannes Mühleisen, CEO): The acquisition ensures continued investment in DuckDB while preserving its open-source nature. Mühleisen sees an opportunity to strengthen the DuckDB Foundation’s governance, adding a Technical Advisory Board to give the broader community a voice. The goal is to maintain independence and avoid conflicts of interest as AWS becomes the primary sponsor. AWS (Andy Warfield, VP): AWS frames this as a deepening of an existing collaboration, committed to keeping DuckDB open and community-driven. The deal likely aims to integrate DuckDB more tightly with AWS services (S3, Athena, Redshift) while ensuring it remains a credible, neutral tool for multi-cloud users. Critics/Skeptics: Some open-source advocates may fear that AWS will steer DuckDB development to favor its own cloud platform, potentially neglecting community contributions or platform-agnostic features. The history of other vendor-acquired projects (e.g., Redis Labs’ license changes) raises caution, though DuckDB’s MIT license provides a strong legal safeguard against license changes.

What to Watch

Formation and composition of the DuckDB Foundation’s Technical Advisory Board and any changes to its governance model.
Whether DuckDB’s development roadmap begins to prioritize AWS-specific integrations (e.g., S3, Glue, Redshift Spectrum) over support for other clouds or on-premises environments.
Community reactions, including any fork or significant exodus of contributors if trust erodes.

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