In a strategic move aimed at strengthening its platform for AI and database-backed application development, Cloudflare acquires Outerbase, a San Francisco-based developer database company. This acquisition, expected to significantly bolster Cloudflare’s service offerings, will provide developers with more robust tools for creating and managing AI-powered applications on the company’s global network.

Outerbase’s innovative database technology is designed to streamline the development of full-stack applications, particularly those reliant on large amounts of data. With this acquisition, Cloudflare aims to enhance its platform, enabling developers to build, deploy, and manage scalable AI applications with ease. As businesses race to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, Cloudflare is positioning itself as a key player in the development and deployment of these data-heavy applications.

The demand for AI solutions, including AI agents and generative AI applications, has surged in recent years, and Cloudflare’s acquisition of Outerbase is a response to this growing trend. By acquiring Outerbase, Cloudflare plans to make it easier for developers, regardless of their technical expertise, to create AI-driven applications that can scale efficiently.

Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, highlighted the significance of this acquisition, stating, “Our goal is to make it easy and accessible for any developer, regardless of expertise, to build database-backed applications that can scale. Outerbase’s technology and design expertise are an important factor in accelerating this improved developer experience.”

Outerbase, which was founded in 2022, is built on Cloudflare’s own infrastructure—specifically, Cloudflare Workers, a serverless execution environment designed for running JavaScript code on Cloudflare’s global network. This shared foundation means that integrating Outerbase’s technology with Cloudflare’s existing tools, such as the Cloudflare D1 relational database and Cloudflare Durable Objects for real-time applications, will be a seamless process. Additionally, the acquisition will complement Cloudflare’s Agents SDK, a tool for building and deploying AI agents, making the platform even more appealing for developers working with AI.

The acquisition also signals a larger shift in Cloudflare’s approach to developer services. As part of a broader strategy to cater to the increasing need for AI capabilities, Cloudflare aims to provide tools that simplify the management of databases powering AI applications. Cloudflare emphasized that modern applications, particularly AI applications, require robust database infrastructure to handle tasks like maintaining context, storing conversations, and acting on data. 

The addition of Outerbase’s technology will ensure that developers have the necessary tools to build and manage these complex, data-driven applications.

Brandon Strittmatter, the co-founder and CEO of Outerbase, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, noting that the move will allow the company to scale its efforts at a much larger level. “At Outerbase, our mission has always been to make working with data easier for developers,” Strittmatter said. “Joining Cloudflare allows us to keep doing that, but faster and at a much larger scale.”

The acquisition also highlights Cloudflare’s growing presence in the developer services market. By integrating Outerbase’s capabilities into its platform, Cloudflare is positioning itself as a key enabler for businesses looking to leverage AI in their applications. With the rapid evolution of generative AI and AI agents, having the right infrastructure to support these technologies is becoming increasingly critical. Cloudflare’s global network and developer-friendly tools are well-positioned to meet this demand.

While the financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, the deal is seen as a win for both companies. Outerbase’s cutting-edge database solutions will be integrated directly into Cloudflare’s existing offerings, helping developers to build applications that are not only AI-powered but also scalable and efficient. For Cloudflare, this acquisition reinforces its commitment to providing developers with the tools needed to succeed in an AI-driven world.

As Cloudflare continues to expand its capabilities, particularly in the realm of AI and data management, the acquisition of Outerbase represents a key step in its evolution. With a growing emphasis on AI agents and scalable data-driven applications, Cloudflare is positioning itself as an indispensable partner for businesses looking to innovate in the AI space. By empowering developers to build powerful, data-backed applications, Cloudflare is solidifying its place as a leader in the connectivity cloud service platform market.