Building a Better Data Stack: The Vision of Preql Founders Gabi Steele and Leah Weiss
As the world becomes increasingly data-driven, companies are struggling to make sense of the vast amounts of information they collect. Two women who have spent years working in data engineering at WeWork and later as consultants, Gabi Steele and Leah Weiss, recognized this challenge and decided to tackle it head-on with their company Preql.
The Problem with Data Transformation
Steele and Weiss started out as data engineers at WeWork, where they encountered the same pain points that many companies face when trying to build a robust data stack. "We saw that there were several key problems in building a data stack, starting with data ingestion and storage," Steele explained. However, it was the piece of the puzzle around data transformation that really caught their attention.
Data transformation is the process of taking raw data from various business sources and making it useful for lines of business. This is often a manual and time-consuming process, requiring experts in the business to work closely with data teams to encode business logic into SQL. However, this translation between business requirements and data teams can be a painful one, creating friction and delays.
The Solution: Preql
Preql aims to solve this problem by providing an interface for business users to specify what they want to measure and how they want to find their metrics. The company’s UI abstracts away the complex work of transforming data, making it possible for non-technical users to easily access and use data.
"We believe there’s a set of core metrics that we think really should be standardized," Weiss said. "There are a couple permutations of those metrics depending on exactly how your business works. So that’s the kind of nuance that we want to get to." Preql wants to create standardization with enough room for flexibility, allowing users to speak the language of their business.
The Power of Software
Steele and Weiss recognized that they could put software to bear on the problem they were trying to solve. As consultants, they had been doing a lot of manual work, but by building software, they could automate many of these processes and make it easier for others to do the same.
"What Preql is doing is we’re building an interface for business users to specify what they want to measure and how they want to find their metrics," Steele explained. "And then we abstract away the complex work of transforming that data in our UI, which is pretty cool."
A Small Team with a Big Vision
The company launched just last year and has been working on building out its product ever since. With a small team, Preql is ambitious in its goals to make data more accessible and inclusive.
"We didn’t study computer science or data science," Weiss said. "And we found our way learning these tools on the job and had people who gave us opportunities. That’s really what motivates us." The goal of Preql is not just to build a product, but also to create opportunities for others to join the data space.
$7 Million Seed Round
Preql has recently closed a $7 million seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Felicis and industry angels. This investment will help bring the company’s vision to reality.
"We’re thrilled to have the support of such experienced investors," Steele said. "Their expertise and resources will be invaluable in helping us build out our product and reach more customers."
Making Data More Accessible
Steele and Weiss are driven by a desire to make data more accessible and inclusive. They recognize that the data space can feel intimidating, especially for those who don’t have a technical background.
"We want Preql to be a tool that anyone can use," Weiss said. "We want it to be intuitive and easy to understand, so that non-technical users can easily access and use data."
The Future of Data
As companies continue to generate more and more data, the need for better data stacks becomes increasingly pressing. Preql is poised to play a significant role in solving this problem.
"We believe that data should be accessible to everyone," Steele said. "We want to help make it easier for businesses to collect, store, and analyze their data, so they can make better decisions."
With its innovative approach to data transformation and its commitment to making data more accessible, Preql is an exciting player in the rapidly evolving world of data technology.
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