While Amazon is acquiring the commercial entity, DuckDB itself will remain free and open source under the oversight of the nonprofit DuckDB Foundation.
The acquisition aligns with Amazon’s strategy to transform its S3 cloud storage service into a primary hub for data analysis rather than just a storage repository.
By integrating a team specialized in lightweight software that queries data directly where it resides, Amazon can better compete with data warehouse providers like Snowflake and Databricks.
AWS vice president Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec noted that DuckDB’s efficiency makes it particularly well-suited for AI agents, which require the ability to quickly explore and process specific datasets.
The deal is expected to close in early September, at which point DuckLabs will operate as a subsidiary of AWS.
The DuckLabs founders stated that joining Amazon provides the necessary resources to support the project's rapid growth without the team being diverted by sales and operations.
To ensure the database's independence, the DuckDB Foundation is establishing a technical advisory board to give the community a voice in future development, while the third-party service MotherDuck will begin offering enterprise support for the software.