[Digital Today reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] Amazon Web Services (AWS) is acquiring DuckLabs, the developer of the open-source analytics database DuckDB.

SiliconANGLE reported on Aug. 26 that the deal is expected to be completed as soon as next month.

After the acquisition is completed, the DuckLabs team will expand AWS and DuckDB data service capabilities worldwide. The DuckDB Foundation, a non-profit independent body, will continue to serve as the entity that runs the project.

DuckDB is an embedded analytics database that can run complex SQL queries directly inside an application or client environment. It is also called SQLite for analytics because it does not require managing separate server infrastructure. DuckLabs has highlighted simplicity and efficiency as DuckDB's strengths, and said daily downloads at one point exceeded 3 million.

AWS plans to keep DuckDB open source after the acquisition. It also plans to provide ecosystem projects such as DuckLake and Quack for free under the MIT license.

The acquisition will also change DuckLabs' business structure. DuckLabs has funded operations through commercial support contracts and feature development partnerships, but plans to broaden investment in the open-source ecosystem based on AWS funding. AWS will create a technical advisory committee within the DuckDB Foundation to gather community input on the project roadmap, and plans to support extensions signed by third-party developers.