Companies building an agent AI architecture are learning that the database is just as important as the model. AI agents solve thousands of unplanned queries at once – and expect answers within milliseconds.
PhoenixAI, the trading name of CelerData Inc., raised $80 million this year to develop database technology for AI agents and solve this growing problem. According to Ross Armstrong (pictured), PhoenixAI’s senior vice president of global sales, established players are struggling to provide real-time answers.
“There was a real gap in the market for real-time analytics, and the ability to not only ask a question but also get the answer in real time was something that all database vendors, even the big names in the market, couldn’t do well,” Armstrong said. “If you have customer-facing analytics or agent AI… you need that response time to be able to meet SLAs with your customers.”
Armstrong spoke with theCUBE’s Paul Gillin at Cloudera EVOLVE26 during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed agent AI database requirements, real-time query performance, and the need for governance and observability. (*Disclosure below.)
Building an agent AI architecture for unpredictable demand
Armstrong said agents generate queries in real time and may access multiple databases at once. PhoenixAI’s specific column engine processes structured and unstructured data and determines how to answer each incoming request.
“I think the biggest demand is that we don’t know what the demand will be for these agents,” Armstrong said. “You could have…thousands and thousands of requests coming in at exactly the same time, but you still need a really quick response.”
PhoenixAI has joined Cloudera as a foundational database partner and is now an option on the Cloudera marketplace. The self-managed edition PhoenixAI Anywhere runs in the customer’s cloud, on-premises, or in air-gapped environments. In a market where many early adopters are encountering governance and observability issues, PhoenixAI plans to address these with AgentBase, a purpose-built contextual environment that keeps agents away from data they don’t need, Armstrong explained.
“You can design this playground to protect and control these agents, but also give them access to the data you need,” Armstrong said. “It’s not necessary to run agents on a solution like PhoenixAI, but it certainly helps you set the guardrails that many companies are looking for.”
Here’s the full video interview, part of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Cloudera EVOLVE26:
(*Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the EVOLVE26 2026 event. Neither Cloudera, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over theCUBE or SiliconANGLE content.)
Photo: SiliconANGLE
Support our mission to keep content open and free by interacting with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE Alumni Trust Networkwhere technology leaders connect, share information and create opportunities.
- Over 15 million viewers of theCUBE videosto spark conversations about AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
- Over 11.4k theCUBE alumni — Connect with more than 11,400 technology and business leaders shaping the future through a unique, trusted network
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands, reaching more than 15 million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is a game-changer in audience engagement, leveraging the theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of the industry conversation.
