From GraphLab to Dato to Turi.
Seattle-based machine learning startup Dato, which originally launched as GraphLab, announced today that it has changed its name again. Now, the company is known as Turi, an ode to computer science legend Alan Turing.
This past September, Turi — then Dato — found itself in a trademark infringement argument with fellow tech startup Datto after Dato changed its name from GraphLab in January 2015.
Datto, which has been offering data backup and recovery services from its Connecticut headquarters since 2007, first complained about Dato’s new name just weeks after the company finished its rebranding from GraphLab.
Datto argued that Dato’s new name would cause confusion. Dato, meanwhile, said that the two companies could coexist because they offer different products.
Ultimately, Dato was forced to rebrand again.
“After exploring different solutions to this unexpected challenge, we decided to change our name,” Turi CEO Carlos Guestrin wrote in a blog post. “The decision wasn’t easy, and finding a new name that we loved wasn’t easy either, but it was a very energizing process and a great opportunity to get back in touch with who we are and our company values. We even used machine learning to help with the process, but we will leave that for another post!”
Founded by University of Washington computer science professor Guestrin in 2013, Turi raised $18.5 million in venture funding from Madrona Venture Group, NEA, Vulcan and others in January 2015, at the same time that it announced its initial name change.
Turi is one of several Seattle-area companies developing machine learning and artificial intelligence technology. Some say the region is poised to be an epicenter for both industries.