Goldman-back Antuit Acquires Japanese Data Manager

Antuit Holdings, a Singapore-based big data specialist backed by Goldman Sachs, has acquired the Japanese subsidiary of AuriQ Systems Inc., a data management software provider.

Antuit said Monday (Nov. 30) it would integrate AuriO’s data management portfolio, including its Essentia platform designed manage and analyze large structured and unstructured datasets. The cloud-based platform is optimized for Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ: AMZN)and Microsoft Azure.

Antuit CEO Arijit Sengupta said the acquisition would expand the big data company’s presence in the Japanese market that is beginning to embrace data analytics. The companies previously worked together to develop a data management platform to help a Japanese life insurance provider track and increase customer acquisition.

The AuriQ deal is Antuit’s second this year. In April, it acquired Prognos, a Chicago-based analytics company specializing in the retail and consumer package goods sector. The deal reflects Antuit’s strategy of supplying big data services “across multiple sectors.”

Antuit said it also acquired the Prognos team of data scientists, many with advanced degrees and PhDs in math and science. (These days, big data acquisitions are as much about snapping up talent as obtaining products or market share.)

Earlier this year, Antuit announced a $56 million funding round led by Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Zodius Capital. The funds were earmarked for “further global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions.”

Goldman Sachs has stepped up its investment in big data on the assumption that the global market for analytics is currently in the same early stage as IT services in the 1990s and business process outsourcing in the early 2000s. The Wall Street investment-banking firm said the big data market is being “driven by increasing data generation, faster processing speed and the evolution of data sciences.”

Along with Antuit, Goldman Sachs also has invested in several data analytics technology companies operating in a range of industries. These include Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) and AvePoint. APT is a Virginia-based software company specializing in business analytics software designed to help “consumer-facing” businesses. AvePoint provides enterprise-class big data management, governance and compliance software solutions for social media platforms.

Founded in 2013, Antuit is built around an analytics-as-a-service model designed to integrate consumers, products and methodologies. Its portfolio includes data management, visualization, predictive and data optimization tools. The startup’s market focus has been on supply chain and operations along with sales and marketing

The startup said it has worked with global companies to develop more efficient supply chains. In one example, it worked with an unidentified food and beverage to optimize its logistics flow and inventory controls. Among the outcomes were “time series-based” forecasting models used to improve the accuracy of demand forecasts.

Along with Sengupta, Antuit’s management team includes former management consultants, industry specialists and analytics veterans.

Related items:

Antuit Acquires Prognos

Antuit Secures $56M in Funding