OceanBase has launched seekdb, an open-source solution to simplify modern AI and database work. This release caught my attention not just as an entrepreneur but as someone building startups with limited resources. The database promises easier integration of AI into our daily data needs, including advanced hybrid searches and RAG workflows. Let's dig into why this matters for startups, especially in Europe.
What does seekdb offer?
Seekdb positions itself as a single-node, SQL-compatible database designed for modern AI needs. Unlike traditional systems that require separate tools for relational, vector, text, and JSON queries, seekdb combines everything under one roof. It’s efficient and strategic for startups like mine where simplicity matters.
Seekdb excels at hybrid search. This means it can retrieve information using semantic vector queries, traditional keyword-based searches, or structured relational filters, all combined seamlessly. For female founders juggling multiple priorities, having this versatility in a single engine can save precious time and effort.
Features that stand out for startups
- AI-powered queries inside databases: Forget complicated workflows. Seekdb allows you to run vector embeddings, manage RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), and even execute text-generation models with SQL commands like
AI_COMPLETEorAI_EMBED. - Compatibility with existing setups: It runs as a MySQL-compatible engine, minimizing the pain of transitioning from traditional setups. This is great for founders who need tech upgrades without completely reconfiguring their stack.
- Multi-model storage: The database supports relational structures as well as JSON, vector embeddings, and GIS data. This makes it ideal for storing user profiles, spatial data for location-based features, and more.
Learn more about seekdb’s specific capabilities on OceanBase’s GitHub repository.
What seekdb means for AI adoption in European startups
As someone bootstrapping startups across Europe, I see potential barriers like budget constraints, fragmented tools, and uneven adoption of AI systems. Seekdb aligns itself with modern AI practices, which could break down these barriers and support lean innovation.
For example, take solo founders working in fields like health tech or ed-tech. These sectors often require multi-modal data searches: tracking text metadata, analyzing geographic patterns, or ranking user-generated content through AI similarity searches. Having a unified search database offers a simpler and leaner solution.
Most common mistakes to avoid with tools like seekdb
- Skipping training: Even though seekdb simplifies AI integration, databases of this type still require basic training for setup. Developers rushing through the installation without understanding hybrid search run the risk of misconfiguring pipelines.
- Ignoring scalability needs: Seekdb is designed to operate in standalone mode. If your business shows massive growth requiring distributed systems, this might limit future options. Always evaluate long-term viability.
- Overloading applications unnecessarily: Users must focus on workflows that truly benefit from seekdb’s hybrid features. Using every single AI function just because it’s available could add more fluff than value.
Lessons for female entrepreneurs in Europe
As female founders in Europe, we know resources come at a premium. Running a lean team with small funds means becoming extra strategic about tools. Here are actionable lessons for using seekdb in your startup or project workflows:
1. Simplify your search integration
Instead of patchworking multiple systems, such as pairing PostgreSQL with vector search or ElasticSearch, seekdb allows quicker implementation of multi-model queries. Lean operations need tools that keep maintenance lower.
2. Build smarter UX without extra handholding
Companies developing user-facing features, like retrieval-heavy applications for B2C products, can leverage seekdb’s usability with little operational debt. Smart queries tied directly to user profiles or spatial data give better search accuracy.
3. Open source advantage
Licensing matters for us entrepreneurs working on tight budgets. Seekdb’s Apache 2.0 licensing makes it freely usable and adaptable, removing burdens of proprietary dependencies.
To better understand open source tools under Apache 2.0 and view seekdb’s technical documentation, explore OceanBase AI’s resource hub.
How to get started with seekdb
Tackling new tools like this requires actionable next steps:
- Learn the installation process: If you’re managing a lean team, opt for the Docker setup or Python SDK (pyseekdb) first to familiarize yourself.
- Identify workflows that need hybrid search: Think retrieval-heavy sections of your product (for instance, how customers look for items in your ecommerce listings).
- Integrate with existing services: Seekdb supports integrations with over 30 AI frameworks, including HuggingFace and LangChain. This makes it ideal for founders already working with standard NLP setups.
Conclusion
Seekdb’s release represents an opportunity to rethink how AI integrates into startup workflows. The unique blend of relational and vector search is impressive for founders aiming to stay ahead without unnecessary overhead. Whether it’s deploying RAG for smarter customer insights, simplifying hybrid queries, or cutting dependency costs, tools like seekdb are slowly making complex systems feel accessible.
Explore seekdb further by visiting OceanBase’s site. As entrepreneurs and freelancers, time and affordability are often our make-or-break factors. Seekdb balances both quite well, creating promising prospects for AI integrated startups.
FAQ
1. What is seekdb, OceanBase's new database?
Seekdb is an open-source, AI-native hybrid search database that unifies relational, vector, text, JSON, and GIS data into a single engine. It supports modern AI needs like hybrid searches and RAG workflows, streamlining complex data retrieval tasks. Explore OceanBase AI seekdb
2. What license does seekdb use?
Seekdb is released under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing free use, modification, and extension of its codebase. Read more about seekdb's license
3. What makes seekdb different from other databases?
Unlike traditional databases, seekdb combines vector, full-text, and relational search, enabling seamless hybrid multi-modal queries through a single SQL-driven engine. Check out the seekdb GitHub repository
4. How does seekdb benefit AI developers?
Seekdb integrates directly with over 30 AI frameworks like HuggingFace and LangChain. It supports AI-specific operations through SQL, such as running LLM completions (AI_COMPLETE) and vector embedding generation (AI_EMBED). Discover seekdb's features
5. Who should use seekdb?
Seekdb is ideal for startups, researchers, and engineers seeking a simplified, standalone AI database for scenarios like RAG workflows, multi-modal queries, and agent memory tasks. Learn about seekdb's use cases
6. Does seekdb support AI-based hybrid search?
Yes, seekdb supports hybrid search by combining vector-based semantic retrieval, keyword-based search, and structured relational filters. Explore hybrid search with seekdb
7. Is seekdb compatible with existing MySQL setups?
Seekdb is MySQL-compatible, so transitioning from traditional setups is straightforward without major reconfiguration. Learn more about seekdb's compatibility
8. How does seekdb integrate with AI frameworks?
Seekdb works with frameworks like HuggingFace and LangChain and offers a Python SDK (pyseekdb) for easy integration into AI workflows. Check out seekdb integrations
9. Can seekdb handle multi-modal datasets?
Yes. Seekdb supports datasets with relational tables, JSON, vector embeddings, GIS, and full-text data, all accessible in a single system. Read about multi-modal capabilities in seekdb
10. Where can I find more technical resources about seekdb?
You can explore seekdb's technical documentation, installation guides, and more on its official GitHub page. Visit the OceanBase seekdb GitHub repository
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
