We are the team behind DuckDB
We design, build, and maintain the DuckDB engine — and help companies run it reliably in production through enterprise support, advisory, and engineering collaboration.
Mark Raasveldt and Hannes Mühleisen
Our story
DuckDB began as a research project by Hannes Mühleisen and Mark Raasveldt at CWI in Amsterdam. They set out to build a simple, fast, embeddable analytical database that removes the complexity of traditional client–server systems while still offering powerful SQL and high-performance analytics.
What started as a research prototype quickly grew into a widely adopted open-source project used across data science, engineering, and analytics teams worldwide. DuckDB Labs was created to support this growth — providing a dedicated team to develop the engine and help companies use it effectively in production.
Today, DuckDB Labs remains independent and fully owned by the original creators. We've deliberately chosen not to take venture capital, so we can focus on sustainable engineering, correctness, and keeping DuckDB open and MIT-licensed for everyone.
Who we are
We are the core development team behind DuckDB, the in-process analytical database built for simplicity, portability, and speed. Based in Amsterdam, our team of more than 20 engineers and researchers maintains the open-source project, guides the architecture, designs new features, and stewards the long-term roadmap of DuckDB and DuckLake.
Our work spans all layers of the system: query planning, vectorized execution, storage formats, extensions, data lake integration, language bindings, and performance optimization.
Alongside our engineering work, we collaborate closely with the community and with the DuckDB Foundation — the independent non-profit that safeguards DuckDB’s intellectual property and ensures that DuckDB remains open-source under the MIT license in perpetuity.
We combine deep database systems expertise with a commitment to openness, clean design, and long-term maintainability.
What we do
We help teams use DuckDB safely and effectively in production.
Our services include:
Enterprise Support
SLA-backed support for teams running DuckDB
Technical Advisory
Architecture reviews & guidance.
Feature Development
Have a feature in mind? We can build it
Engineering Collaboration
Optimize DuckDB for your workloads.
Our values
Simplicity
DuckDB is designed to be simple to install, simple to use, and simple to understand. We carry that philosophy into everything we build.
Correctness
Analytical results must be right. We invest heavily in testing and verification.
Performance
We push the boundaries of what in-process analytics can do — in-memory and beyond.
Openness
DuckDB is open-source under the MIT license. We work transparently and in collaboration with the community.
Independence
We are fully founder-owned and not externally funded. Our priorities align with the long-term health of the project and its users.
Sustainable development
Enterprise collaborations support continuous, qualitative development of the open-source core.
Founders
Hannes Mühleisen
- Co-creator of DuckDB, Co-founder & CEO of DuckDB Labs
- Author of numerous publications in database systems and data management
Mark Raasveldt
- Co-creator of DuckDB, Co-founder & CTO of DuckDB Labs
- Database systems researcher and engineer
- Lead architect of DuckDB’s execution engine, SQL extensions, and internal systems
Contact us
If you’d like to work with us, explore a feature idea, or discuss how we can help your team succeed with DuckDB, we’d love to talk.
Get in touch