About PhoenixAI
The database built for
agentic AI.
PhoenixAI is the agentic AI and analytics database for teams who need real-time answers on live data. AI agents don’t wait for batch jobs — they query, decide, and act in milliseconds. We build the infrastructure that makes that possible, at any scale.
Our mission
Give every AI agent, application, and team instant access to the freshest data — without the infrastructure complexity that slows them down.
2022
Founded
2
Deployment models
24/7
Priority support
Our story
Built by people who understand what agentic AI actually needs.
Our founders spent years building and operating real-time data systems at some of the most demanding environments in the industry. They watched firsthand as AI workloads began outpacing what existing analytical databases could deliver — agents waiting on queries, features stale by hours, dashboards lagging behind real events.
PhoenixAI is what they built instead. The analytical database designed specifically for agentic AI — sub-second SQL on live data, high concurrency, enterprise governance, and flexible deployment. The infrastructure AI agents actually need to work.
The same deep systems knowledge that informs our architecture now goes into how we work with customers — hands-on, technically fluent, and focused on outcomes rather than features. We’re not a distant vendor. We’re the engineers in the trench with you.
2022
Foundation
CelerData founded to build a managed, enterprise-grade real-time analytical database for AI workloads.
2022
First enterprise customers
Early deployments at data-intensive enterprises validated real-time query performance at production scale.
2023
Cloud product launch & growth
Launched BYOC cloud product. Expanded enterprise accounts.
2024
AI workloads & lakehouse
Native Apache Iceberg and Delta Lake support shipped. AI and ML teams began adopting the product as the real-time analytical layer for agent workloads.
2026
PhoenixAI
Rebranded as PhoenixAI. Launched intelligent materialized views, expanded lakehouse support, and a new compute tier. New funding rounds secured.
How we work
Five things we take seriously.
These aren’t aspirations. They’re how we make decisions, hire people, and show up for customers.
Visionary
We see where data infrastructure is heading and build for it — grounded in what customers need today, not just what’s technically interesting.
Humble
Deep expertise without ego. We know the technology is only as useful as the human using it. We don’t talk down to anyone.
Curious
We’re obsessed with how things actually work for our customers right now — not just the ideal deployment. Problems first. Features second.
Collaborative
Partner in the trenches, not a distant vendor. We work closely with customers and with each other — because that raises everyone.
Trustworthy
We’re the adults in the room for AI data infrastructure. Our advice is earned, backed by specifics, and doesn’t change based on what’s convenient.
Leadership
The team behind PhoenixAI.
James Li
Co-Founder & CEO
James is a co-founder of PhoenixAI and leads the company’s overall strategy, vision, and execution. He works closely with customers, partners, and investors to bring the Agentic AI Database to enterprises putting AI into production.
LinkedIn
Andy Ye
Co-Founder & CPO
Andy is a co-founder of PhoenixAI and leads product, marketing, and customer success, shaping how the Agentic AI Database is built, positioned, and adopted by enterprises. He also oversees the company’s administrative operations, keeping the organization running as it scales.
LinkedIn
Alvin Zhao
Co-Founder & CTO
Alvin is a co-founder of PhoenixAI and chair of the StarRocks Technical Steering Committee. He leads PhoenixAI’s engineering and technology direction, from core database architecture to the company’s agentic AI roadmap.
LinkedIn
Ross Armstrong
SVP, Global Sales
Ross leads PhoenixAI’s global sales organization and is responsible for revenue growth across all regions and segments. He builds and scales the teams that help enterprises adopt PhoenixAI for their real-time and AI-driven data workloads.
LinkedIn
Bhavik Gandhi
VP, Revenue Operations
Bhavik leads revenue operations at PhoenixAI, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success around a shared go-to-market process. He owns forecasting, pipeline analytics, and the systems and data that drive predictable, scalable revenue.
LinkedIn
Otto Yeung
VP, Finance
Otto leads finance at PhoenixAI, overseeing financial planning, accounting, and capital management. He also leads the company’s legal function, covering corporate, commercial, and compliance matters.
LinkedInWhere we work
Headquartered in the Bay Area. Distributed Globally.
Menlo Park, California
Our home base, just around the corner from the heart of Silicon Valley. Where our leadership team and core functions are rooted.
Distributed globally
Our engineering, product, and customer-facing teams work across time zones. We hire for talent, not geography — and we build the processes to match.