Edge computing cloud and global data network macrometa raised $38 million led by Akamai Technologies, as the two announce a new partnership and product integrations. Funding also included participation from Shasta Ventures and 60 Degree Capital. Akamai Labs CTO Andy Champagne will join Macrometa’s board.
Macrometa founder and CEO Chetan Venkatesh told londonbusinessblog.com that its GDN enables cloud developers to run backend services closer to mobile phones, browsers, smart devices, connected cars and users in edge regions or points of presence (PoP). That reduces downtime, because if one edge area goes down, another can immediately take over. Akamai’s edge network now spans 4,200 regions around the world.
The partnership between Macrometa and Akamai means the two combine three infrastructure components into a single platform for cloud developers: Akamai’s edge network, cloud hosting service Linode (which Akamai bought earlier this year), and Macrometa’s Global Data Network (GDN) and edge cloud. Akamai Edge Workers technology is now available through Macrometa’s GDN console, API, and SDK, allowing developers to build a cloud app or API in Macrometa and then quickly deploy it to Akamai’s edge locations.
Venkatesh gave some examples of how customers can use the integration between Macrometa and Akamai.
For SaaS customers, the integration means they can see speed increases and latency improvements from 25x to 100x for their products, resulting in reduced user churn and better conversion rates for freemium models. Enterprise customers using the joint solution can improve the performance of streaming data pipelines and real-time data analytics. They can also deal with data residency and sovereignty issues by holding and tokenizing data in geo-fenced data vaults for compliance.
Video streaming clients, meanwhile, can use the integration to take their platforms to the edge, including authentication, content catalog display, personalization, and content recommendations. Similarly, game companies can place servers closer to players and use the Akamai-Macrometa integration for features such as player matching, leaderboards, multiplayer game lobbies, and anti-cheating features. For e-commerce players competing with Amazon, the joint solution can be used to connect and stream data from local stores and fulfillment centers, enabling faster delivery times.
Macrometa will use the funding for developer training, community development, corporate event marketing and joint sales to customers with Akamai (Macrometa’s products are now available through Akamai’s sales team).
In a statement on the funding and partnership, Akamai EVP and CTO Robert Blumofe said: “Developers are fundamentally changing the way they build, deploy and run business applications. Speed and scale are more important than ever, while flexibility in placing workloads is now paramount. By partnering with and investing in Macrometa, Akamai is helping to shape and advance a single platform that meets the evolving needs of developers and the apps they create.”