OpenTelemetry-native observability tool Dash0 has raised $9.5 million in Seed financing to bring simple, standardised observability to modern cloud-based businesses.

Observability—the ability to track the telemetry data that applications produce, such as metrics, logs, and traces—helps businesses improve performance, reliability, and user experience.

The launch of OpenTelemetrty in 2019 made this even easier by providing universal open-source standards for data measurement. 

Despite this, OpenTelemetry’s potential is mostly untapped, with legacy observability tools favouring outdated, proprietary data collection methods that other tools cannot understand. 

The result is a poor user experience, data that can’t be contextualised, and high, unpredictable costs based on inconsistent standards.

Dash0 is co-founded by Mirko Novakovic, who also founded Accel-backed observability platform Instana (acquired by IBM in 2020). 

The tool simplifies observability for developers everywhere, with an observability framework that is easier to install, integrate, and use than legacy alternatives. 

Thanks to fully customisable dashboards, users have access to an intuitive UI. The platform also fully supports PromQL and Perses, giving developers complete flexibility to query and visualise their observability data in real time. Integrations with Slack, email, and custom webhooks support easy, proactive monitoring and alerting.

Dash0’s OpenTelemetry-native approach means that it does not generate proprietary data for its customers, instead providing visibility of vendor-agnostic performance data that is standardised and fully contextualised.

This prevents observability costs from spiralling, instead allowing transparent, real-time pricing based on standardised units of observability data generated by Dash0 users. 

Mirko Novakovic, Founder and CEO of Dash0, said: 

“For too long, developers have had no control over observability costs and have been unable to tap the potential offered by OpenTelemetry’s simple, vendor-neutral standards.

We’re excited to announce this seed funding to make observability easy for every developer and to help them access the data they need to improve.”

Accel led the investment, with participation from Dig Ventures and angel investors, including Guy Podjarny (co-founder, Snyk) and Guillermo Rauch (CEO, Vercel).

Harry Nelis, Partner at Accel, said: 

“By building the first OpenTelemetry-native observability tool, Dash0 is committed to developing truly innovative software that can challenge legacy vendors by simplifying this crucial process for businesses everywhere.”

Ross Mason, Founder of DIG Ventures, said: 

Making observability easy is actually as difficult as it is game-changing. With its next-generation product, Dash0 team are re-defining this critical infrastructure category and, for the first time, opening it up to all developers.”

The funding accelerate product development and scale Dash0’s sales and marketing teams.

Lead image: Dash0. Photo: uncredited.