GUN is an open-source decentralized database that provides real-time updates with eventual consistency, allowing developers to build peer-to-peer or multi-master setups. In its architecture a cloud server can simply act as another peer while data is automatically distributed between peers and cached locally when users go offline, with automated merge and conflict-resolution tools. Founder Mark Nadal began prototyping GUN in 2014 and has iterated on the project since, drawing on concepts from Firebase, MySQL, MongoDB and Cassandra. The system has been used to build decentralized demos including a Reddit clone (not currently working) and a YouTube-like service, and is reportedly used by the Dutch Navy for some IoT services and by groups for AI/ML services. Nadal claims performance advantages — initial tests show caching performance roughly 28 times faster than Redis, MongoDB and other incumbents — and the team is pursuing partnerships in gaming, IoT, VR and distributed machine learning. Financially, GUN announced it raised just over $1.5 million in a seed round led by Draper Associates, with participation from Marc Benioff's Aloha Angels, Boost VC, CRCM and other angel investors.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

May 2018