Big Squid

Big Squid was a Salt Lake City, Utah-based software company focused on predictive analytics and no-code automated machine learning (AutoML). Its early product, the Predictive Toolkit, let business users build predictive models in a few steps, explore "what if" scenarios and forecast key business metrics without data science staff. The company later developed an AI platform called Kraken, which allowed analysts and business decision makers to apply machine learning to their data to surface correlations and identify the top influencers driving business outcomes.

Alongside its software, Big Squid worked across business intelligence, data science, machine learning and predictive analytics services, and was a Premier Domo Partner. By 2017 it reported more than 400 strategic customer implementations, a figure it described as more than 1,000 data and business intelligence platform implementations by 2019.

In September 2021 Qlik acquired Big Squid to add no-code AutoML capabilities — key driver analysis, predictive analytics, "what if" scenario planning and API-deployable models backed by explainable AI — to its augmented analytics suite. The technology was rebranded Qlik AutoML and made available to Qlik Cloud and on-premises customers across data sources including Google, Microsoft and Snowflake.

Founding story

Big Squid was founded by Chris Knoch, who previously worked at Omniture alongside Silverton Partners general partner Mike Dodd, to put advanced forecasting and machine learning capabilities directly in the hands of business decision makers rather than data scientists.

Business model

Big Squid sold SaaS predictive analytics and no-code AutoML software (Predictive Toolkit, later the Kraken platform) to enterprises, complemented by data consulting and business intelligence implementation services. It operated as a Premier Domo Partner and integrated with third-party analytics platforms, including a multi-year partnership with Qlik prior to being acquired.

Revenue came from SaaS software subscriptions for its predictive analytics and AutoML platform, together with data science consulting and BI implementation engagements.

Traction

Big Squid reported more than 400 strategic customer implementations as of March 2017 and more than 1,000 data and strategic business intelligence platform implementations as of January 2019. Qlik stated that many existing Big Squid customers were shared with Qlik and committed to supporting them post-acquisition.

Latest developments

Qlik announced the acquisition on September 30, 2021 for undisclosed terms. Big Squid's technology was rebranded Qlik AutoML and folded into Qlik's cloud analytics platform, with applications including a Qlik and C40 Cities effort to quantify city-level carbon emissions and model alternative emissions scenarios.