Looker

Looker Data Sciences, Inc. is an American software company headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, that markets a data exploration, business intelligence and embedded analytics platform. Its core technical asset is LookML, a SQL-based modeling language in which data teams define business rules, metrics and table relationships once in a Git version-controlled model; Looker then generates SQL queries against the underlying database so business users can explore, save and download data with only basic SQL knowledge. The product was positioned as the first commercially available BI platform built for scalable or massively parallel relational database systems such as Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, HP Vertica, Netezza and Teradata.

Since its acquisition by Google, Looker has been folded into Google Cloud Platform and is marketed as an "agentic BI" platform layered on Google Cloud's data stack. Current product lines include Conversational Analytics and Dashboard Agents powered by Gemini for natural-language querying and AI summaries; a universal semantic layer that supplies governed business definitions to both human analysts and LLMs; embedded analytics via Looker APIs, SDKs and low-code iframe implementations; and Looker (Google Cloud core), a version of the platform run on Google Cloud infrastructure with Cloud IAM single sign-on, private networking and BigQuery integration. Additional capabilities include self-service visualization assistants, blending of ad-hoc CSVs and local files with governed LookML models, integration with Data Studio/Looker Studio, and Looker Modeler as a metrics source of truth. The Looker Marketplace distributes Blocks (prebuilt LookML and SQL patterns, MIT licensed), applications such as LookML Diagram, Machine Learning Accelerator and Data Dictionary, custom visualization plug-ins, and Actions that push data to services like Slack, Segment and Google Analytics.

Founding story

Lloyd Tabb began writing the first lines of code for what became Looker in August 2011, drawing on repeated experience building one-off data tools while in founding and CTO roles at companies including Netscape, LiveOps and Luminate; his stated mission was a product that lets everyone in an organization see what is happening through data. Co-founder Ben Porterfield joined a few months later to help build the product, and the company was formally founded in Santa Cruz, California in January 2012, operating out of the historic Rittenhouse building. The founders bootstrapped with a small set of early customers before raising a seed round in the summer of 2012 co-led by First Round Capital's Bill Trenchard, who had worked with Tabb previously at LiveOps and ReadyForce. Looker emerged from stealth in March 2013; Frank Bien joined several months later as president and subsequently became CEO, taking over the sales motion and scaling after working with Tabb on the Series A fundraise.

Business model

Looker sells a commercial business intelligence and analytics platform to organizations, now distributed as a Google Cloud service alongside other Google Cloud products. Plans are tailored to customer needs with pricing available on request or via published pricing details, and the offering bundles analytics software, integrations, application development capabilities, professional services and support. Looker also serves as an embedded analytics layer that customers use to build data products inside their own customer-facing applications.

Subscription/licensed software sold in multiple plan tiers, with quotes requested from sales and a free trial available; Google Cloud packaging includes free credits for new users. Looker's 2019 revenue was estimated at about $140 million.

Traction

Looker grew from a single customer to more than 1,700 customers and roughly 700 employees across eight offices in about seven years, with approximately 450 customers reported in January 2016 and 140 employees in July 2015. Estimated 2019 revenue was around $140 million, and the company was acquired by Google for $2.6 billion.

Latest developments

Looker is currently marketed as an agentic BI platform and the experience layer for Google's Agentic Data Cloud. Recent capabilities include Gemini-powered Conversational Analytics and Dashboard Agents that summarize and act on data within dashboards, general availability of Looker APIs for Conversational Analytics enabling multi-turn agentic workflows in customer-facing applications, AI-assisted self-service features such as AI Quick Starts and custom expression generation, blending of ad-hoc CSVs and local files with governed LookML models, Looker Modeler for BI metrics, and Looker availability directly from the Google Cloud console. Looker's site cites Gartner naming Google a Leader in the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms.