Chalk
Category: ML Ops / ML Platforms
Chalk is a data platform for AI inference that streamlines the deployment and management of real-time machine learning models. Chalk was founded in 2022. The company is led by Marc Freed-Finnegan. Based in San Francisco, CA, USA. Team size: 35. Total funding raised: $60 million. Latest round: Series A ($50M, May 2025 at $500M valuation led by Felicis) - AI infrastructure/data platform. Key investors include Felicis, General Catalyst, Unusual Ventures, Xfund, Triatomic Capital.
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Team size
- 35
- Total funding
- $60 million
Value proposition
Enables organizations to deploy real-time ML models faster by automating data pipelines, feature engineering, model serving, and monitoring in a unified, developer-friendly platform.
Products and solutions
Real-time feature store, Automated data pipeline orchestration, Model serving infrastructure, Monitoring & observability tools for ML workflows, LLM toolchain
Unique value
Simplifies the transition from batch-based ML workflows to real-time inference at scale, with an emphasis on developer experience and rapid iteration.
Target customer
Data science teams and developers at mid-to-large enterprises requiring scalable real-time ML model deployment pipelines.
Industries served
Fintech, E-commerce, Logistics/Supply Chain Optimization, Healthcare
Technology advantage
Provides a unified, modern platform that abstracts away the complexities of end-to-end real-time ML systems, dynamically integrating data from APIs, microservices, and transactional databases.
How they differentiate
Chalk emphasizes real-time inference and operationalization through a unified stack tailored for developer experience, unlike competitors who focus on broader analytics, specialized features, or batch processing.
Main competitors
Databricks, Tecton, Arize AI, Rasgo
Key partnerships
Melio, Mission Lane, Pipe, Ramp, Vital, Whatnot
Notable customers
Melio, Mission Lane, Pipe, Ramp, Vital, Whatnot
Major milestones
Raised $10 million in seed funding (December 2023) Raised $50 million in Series A funding (May 2025) Public launch of core product/platform Adoption by notable companies for critical ML decisioning
Growth metrics
Rapid hiring and a growing customer base among tech-forward enterprises; significant investor confidence evidenced by recent funding rounds.
Market positioning
Niche player in AI Infrastructure/MLOps, targeting the growing need for real-time ML decisioning.
Geographic focus
Primarily US-centric, with planned expansion beyond its New York presence.
Patents and IP
No publicly disclosed patents
About Marc Freed-Finnegan
Marc Freed-Finnegan is a seasoned entrepreneur and product leader with extensive experience in the tech industry. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Chalk, a data platform for machine learning. Before Chalk, he co-founded and led Index, a retail software company that was acquired by Stripe. At Stripe, he was the Business Lead for Stripe Terminal. Earlier in his career, he held product leadership roles at Google, where he was instrumental in the launch of Google Wallet and AdSense for mobile. He began his career at Google in the Global Infrastructure team, selecting sites for European data centers. Marc holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.
Official website: https://www.chalk.ai