Pakistani-origin entrepreneur Ovais Tariq has raised $25 million in Series A funding for Tigris Data, a U.S.-based startup targeting the cloud computing space dominated by AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Tariq, formerly head of cloud infrastructure at Uber, co-founded Tigris Data alongside Himank Chaudhary, CTO, and Yevgeniy Firsov, Chief Architect. The funding round was led by Spark Capital, with participation from existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz.
Tigris Data is designed to meet the demands of modern AI workloads through distributed computing and AI-native data storage. According to Tariq, traditional centralized cloud storage has become costly and inefficient for AI infrastructure. “Modern AI workloads and AI infrastructure are choosing distributed computing instead of big cloud. We want to provide the same option for storage, because without storage, compute is nothing,” he explained. The startup’s system allows data to move automatically to locations where GPUs are available, supports billions of small files, and ensures low-latency access for AI training and inference, providing a flexible alternative to existing cloud models.
The company’s engineering team includes members who previously built Uber’s internal storage platform. Tigris Data currently serves over 4,000 customers, mainly AI startups working on image, video, and voice generation models. Tariq emphasized the importance of proximity between compute and storage for low-latency applications. “Imagine talking to an AI agent doing local audio. You want the lowest latency — compute and storage both need to be nearby,” he said. The startup operates three data centers in Virginia, Chicago, and San Jose, with plans to expand into London, Frankfurt, and Singapore. Tigris has reported an annual growth rate of eight times since its founding in November 2021.
Tariq’s personal journey reflects a trajectory from Karachi to Silicon Valley, showcasing the global potential of Pakistani talent. After studying computer science at University of Karachi, he began his career as a software engineer in a local IT firm, later working remotely for a Singapore-based database company. He joined Uber’s U.S. headquarters, where he led cloud infrastructure before leaving in 2021 to launch Tigris following fluctuations in Uber’s share price. Colleagues describe Tariq as a self-made founder whose vision has consistently aimed at global impact. His experience highlights the opportunities for Pakistani innovators to compete on a global scale when provided the right ecosystem and support.
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