Databricks opens EMEA HQ

This move by Databricks is further evidence of how London is not only open but is keeping its crown as Europe's top hub for high-growth tech companies. What is more, it is clear that the tech sector in London is more than a roundabout on Old Street, and now stretches from East to West and North to South with tech campuses across the Capital. Tech firms, specifically those focused on data -  artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, are fuelling the Capital’s growth.

Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks, comments: “We opted to make London our EMEA base in August 2017 and have grown from a few desks in a shared workspace to an iconic building in the West End. We are proud to be playing a part in ensuring London maintains its position at the epicentre of Europe’s tech scene, through enabling Unified Analytics.”

Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, said: “It’s exciting to see an innovative and ambitious global company like Databricks choose London as its European base. With access to policymakers, growth capital, infrastructure, world-class universities and talent, London has everything you need to grow, nurture and scale a business.

“Technology and innovation are driving forces behind the city’s growth – with employment in London’s digital technology sector predicted to grow by almost a fifth over the next decade. London is a city where great ideas are born and with companies like Databricks putting down roots, the capital’s future looks extremely bright.”

The new Databricks office will enable the company to more than double its UK staff and also open a customer briefing and training centre that will host Big Data Meetups, Machine Learning Workshops and introductions to Unified Analytics every month.

The Databricks Unified Analytics Platform helps organizations accelerate innovation and achieve AI success faster.  Unified Analytics makes it easier for enterprises to build data pipelines across various siloed data storage systems. In addition to eliminating the challenges of data silos and the gap between data processing and machine learning platforms, Unified Analytics also addresses the lack of communication between data scientists and engineers.

David Wyatt, vice president and general manager of EMEA, commented, “We have grown in London despite the uncertainties of Brexit. We have hired a multi-national, highly skilled workforce that has excelled at bringing companies further in their journey to achieve productive AI.  We look forward to continued growth.”