Joynt: Big data firm Ayasdi visualizes data solutions

http://gigaom.com/2013/01/16/has-ayasdi-turned-machine-learning-into-a-magic-bullet/

http://gigaom.com/2013/01/16/has-ayasdi-turned-machine-learning-into-a-magic-bullet/

Jordan Joynt

Palo Alto-based data company, Ayasdi, officially launched on Jan. 16 after securing $10 million in funding from Khosla Ventures and FLOODGATE. The Ayasdi Platform uses topological data analysis to discover patterns or anomalies within data.

The program highlights the underlying geometric shapes of large sets of data. Ayasdi is a cloud-based platform and is applicable for any organization working with large data sets.

Compiling over 10 years of research from Stanford, DARPA and NSF, Ayasdi has developed data solutions for fields of interests including pharmaceuticals, financial services, manufacturing and sports.

“The answers to today’s most important scientific, business and social problems lie in data,” Singh, Ayasdi’s CEO, said in a press release. “The biggest challenge in big data today is asking the right questions of data. There are so many questions to ask that you don’t have the time to ask them all, so it doesn’t even make sense to think about where to start your analysis. The power of Ayasdi is its unique ability to automatically discover insights — regardless of complexity — without asking questions. Ayasdi’s customers can finally learn the answers to questions that they didn’t know to ask in the first place. Simply stated, Ayasdi is ‘digital serendipity’.”

The start-up works with a variety of clients around the globe to analyze data ranging from improving cancer therapy to preventing terrorist attacks.

Research on gene expression data, clinical data and third party data sources from medical institutions focus specifically on cancer and disease. Analyzing data from gene combinations can eventually lead to effective strategies for patient care and treatment.

“As one of the largest medical genetics centers in the United States, we conduct pioneering research to identify the genetic susceptibilities — or predispositions — of many diseases, including cancer. Ayasdi has already helped us glean new insights that will lead to breakthrough drug discoveries,” said Eric Schadt, Director of the Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mt. Sinai.

Ayasdi will be represented at GigaOm Structure: Data and SXSW in March.