Our two-year journey to raise $15m in venture capital

QuestDB, an open-source time-series database known for its ultra-low latency and high ingestion throughput, embarked on a two-year journey to raise its Series A funding, ultimately securing over $15 million in venture capital. The company was co-founded by Vlad and his partner after identifying the need for a high-performance, open-source database capable of efficiently handling large datasets without code dependencies, accessible via SQL. Initial challenges in pitching the product stemmed from its open-source nature and lack of revenue, but support from investors who understood the potential of open-source community building helped secure initial funding. QuestDB joined Y Combinator in Summer 2020, focusing on product development and community engagement, which led to significant growth in developer interest and contributions. Throughout this period, they adhered to Y Combinator's advice of prioritizing product-market fit over rapid hiring, which facilitated a meaningful connection with early users. By Summer 2021, QuestDB had expanded its community significantly, prompting another fundraising round to enhance their database offerings and develop a scalable cloud-hosted service. Strategic advice from experienced open-source founders and selective investor choices played a critical role in this phase, emphasizing the importance of open-source traction and developer adoption over immediate revenue growth. The increased funding supports QuestDB's remote-first expansion, enabling the company to attract global talent and continue its innovative journey.