Talend pumps funds into channel

Open-source data integration vendor plots UK channel assault after funding success

Yves de Montcheuil

Open-source data integration software vendor Talend is expanding its European channel after managing to secure $12m (£8.4m) in Series C funding.

The funding is being led by Balderton Capital and existing investor AGF Private Equity, which brings Talend’s total funding to more than $20m.

Based in France and with operations in the US, Europe and China, the vendor unveiled its UK office in Maidenhead in January.

Yves de Montcheuil, vice president of marketing at Talend, said: “Based on our models in France and Germany, we should recruit 50 UK partners in 2009 through building on our channel team and hiring a dedicated channel manager.

“The funding will help us to recruit employees in marketing, sales and support functions.”

Launched two years ago, Talend’s Open Studio has already seen more than 3.3 million downloads.

In the past year, Talend claims to have increased its paying customer base three-fold, rapidly gaining market share from Informatica’s PowerCenter and IBM WebSphere’s DataStage.

“We will unveil products in the master data management space in 2009,” added Montcheuil.

Alastair Edwards, senior analyst at market watcher Canalys, said that companies need a good case to secure funding in the current economic climate.

“It makes sense for venture funds to find the next best thing in a growing area of the market, but companies ­ especially niche businesses and startups ­ are struggling to find it,” he said.

In a statement, Matthieu Baret, partner with AGF Private Equity, said: “AGF Private Equity was an early backer of Talend and we are proud to affirm our support of the company and its team.”