What Drives China’s Database Boom? Insights from MariaDB’s Founder

According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology’s 2022 Global Database Industry Map, the worldwide database market reached about $70 billion in 2021, with nearly 200 database companies founded in the past decade.

China’s database sector is heating up, with roughly ten new vendors emerging each year since 2013, and dozens of entrepreneurs with international database experience launching startups in areas such as OLTP, OLAP, time‑series, multimodal and streaming databases.

Relational databases remain dominant, exemplified by Oracle, MySQL and DB2, even as diverse database types appear to meet evolving demands.

36Kr recently interviewed Michael Widenius, the “father of MySQL” and founder of MariaDB, to explore technical, product and commercial trends.

36Kr: What is the biggest change you see in China’s database landscape?

Monty: I now see many more companies, including many entering distributed databases, indicating rapid progress in China’s database ecosystem.

36Kr: How do you view China’s recent open‑source surge?

Monty: It’s encouraging to see many Chinese developers contributing to open source; it helps small firms compete with larger ones, though talent competition creates pressure.

36Kr: Some say intense work cultures limit open‑source contributions. Your take?

Monty: Large firms like Alibaba, Tencent and Huawei have demanding paces but still invest heavily in open‑source databases and provide community patches.

36Kr: How does China’s open‑source scene differ from abroad?

Monty: For MariaDB, China is the region with the highest download volume, likely due to its large developer base, but overall there’s no major difference from overseas.

36Kr: What’s your view on collaboration between database vendors and cloud providers?

Monty: Over the past decade I’ve worked closely with major Chinese cloud providers, promoting MariaDB and co‑optimizing code, which benefits both parties.

36Kr: How do MariaDB and PolarDB compare?

Monty: PolarDB is a distributed version that scales nodes quickly, ideal for cloud scenarios, while MariaDB offers strong Oracle compatibility, making migration from Oracle easier. Additionally, PolarDB runs only on Alibaba Cloud, whereas MariaDB can run on‑premises, private clouds, or any public cloud.

36Kr: Which other cloud partners are you working with?

Monty: We collaborate with AWS and Microsoft Azure, both of which contribute significant patches to the MariaDB community.

36Kr: Is “open‑source + cloud” the best path to monetize databases?

Monty: Not necessarily; profitability depends on being the sole provider in a cloud environment, which is rarely the case.

36Kr: Can you share details about your China expansion plans?

Monty: We aim to build a local team, partner with Chinese cloud vendors, and provide Chinese‑language support, as many customers demand localized services.

36Kr: How important is the domestic substitution trend for you?

Monty: It’s crucial. Many enterprises run both MySQL and MariaDB; migration from MySQL 5.7 to MariaDB can happen in seconds, and supporting Chinese customers seeking alternatives to foreign products is a priority.

36Kr: Do you think open‑source software is secure?

Monty: Large projects like Linux and MariaDB have rigorous code review processes and rapid vulnerability fixes, whereas smaller projects may have higher risk.

36Kr: What advice do you have for young engineers wanting to start a company?

Monty: Focus on solving real customer problems with repeatable solutions, secure early funding, and retain enough profit to sustain development.

36Kr: How do you see the future of databases?

Monty: I expect 10‑15 specialized databases to coexist, each addressing different workloads; no single database will cover every need, but MariaDB aims to serve many scenarios.

Source: 36Kr