With pre-seed funding led by Gradient, Springtail is on a mission to free software developers from the complexity of scaling data infrastructure.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Springtail, a new way to scale PostgreSQL, today announced it has raised a $2.5 million pre-seed round led by Google's early-stage AI fund, Gradient. The oversubscribed round also included participation from Octave and angel investors.
Databases are the backbone of every software service, and Postgres has long been a developer favorite for its reliability and versatility. Modern platform services have simplified Postgres adoption, however, scaling and managing database performance remains a challenge.
When developers hit a scalability wall with Postgres, they typically face two options: migrate to a different database solution or build custom backend infrastructure. Both paths are time-consuming distractions that divert focus from core product development.
Enter Springtail, a new way for engineering teams to scale Postgres performance.
Springtail works alongside Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, offloading and scaling read execution while the existing Postgres instance remains the trusted, primary store of data. This unique approach allows developers to enhance database performance without overhauling their application, rebuilding their infrastructure, or migrating their data.
Craig Soules, co-founder and CEO of Springtail, explains, "Migrating a production database is complex and time-consuming. It involves setting up new instances, transitioning schemas, updating code, and ensuring everything stays in sync. With Springtail, your existing Postgres instance remains in place, so there's no need to replace the database or build new infrastructure."
At its core, Springtail is a cloud-native distributed database that separates storage from computation, providing seamless horizontal scaling for read-heavy workloads. Its architecture automatically distributes queries across multiple nodes, significantly increasing query throughput.
"The demand for scalable data solutions is surging, especially with the rise of analytics and AI in today's applications," noted Zach Bratun-Glennon, General Partner at Gradient. "Springtail offers unparalleled out-of-the-box Postgres scalability, freeing engineering from database management and delivering cost and throughput optimization."
Springtail is led by data and infrastructure experts with backgrounds from HP, NetApp, and Freshworks. Craig Soules and Garth Goodson, second-time founders who met at Carnegie Mellon, bring deep experience in distributed systems. George Szundi led go-to-market efforts for the team's first venture, which was later acquired by Freshworks. Together, they combine technical depth with a track record of building successful software companies.
Springtail's initial offering introduces scalable, on-demand read replicas for Postgres on AWS. Unlike traditional replicas that must run continuously to stay in sync with the primary, Springtail replicas share a storage layer and scale compute independently. This allows teams to spin replicas up and down as needed, reducing overhead and eliminating the cost of idle infrastructure.
"Springtail allows users to only pay for the performance they need, when they need it," said Garth Goodson, co-founder and CTO. "This can potentially save developers up to 58% on Postgres read replication compared to Amazon RDS."
Springtail is actively partnering with teams to scale the performance of their existing PostgreSQL databases, and invites software developers to learn more at www.springtail.io.
About Springtail
Springtail is a cloud service that horizontally scales the performance of your existing PostgreSQL database. Founded in 2023, Springtail is on a mission to free developers from the complexities of managing scalable data infrastructure. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and backed by Google's early-stage fund, Gradient. Learn more at www.springtail.io.
About Gradient
Gradient has been investing at the forefront of artificial intelligence since 2017. We are led by former founders, technical experts, and domain specialists who have supported hundreds of AI founders from the beginning. Gradient is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.gradient.com.
Media Contact
George Szundi, Springtail, 1 408-641-9581, [email protected], https://www.springtail.io
SOURCE Springtail
Share this article