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Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

anaconda.com

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Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#61

Post by jcrben »

matrss wrote: post #53
lvl155 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how many people (count them with fingers) use Conda for anything other than Python? It’s a bloatware. People stopped using Conda because these people kept making the bloat worse.

A single one of the gfortran packages released about 20 hours ago already has 362 downloads, so I think it is safe to say that the non-python users of conda-forge are more than just a handful. If you don't need it that's fine, no one is stopping you from using PyPI and uv instead. But for some that is not a replacement. And yes, some things about conda(-forge) could be described as bloated. I particularly dislike the…

362 downloads over 20 hours isn't that impressive. Not saying Anaconda isn't great. Don't have much experience with it but I hope the devs get paid for all the value delivered, which I think is largem

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#62

Post by matrss »

jauntywundrkind wrote: post #58
matrss wrote: post #29

Anaconda != the conda ecosystem != Python Everyone who is comparing Anaconda and conda to Astral and uv is missing that the conda ecosystem is language-agnostic while uv is python specific. uv won't help you install gfortran, for example. It is not a replacement, unless you only do python (and use at most common non-python libraries that are available on PyPI). On the other hand you don't have to use anything associa…

I admit I'm not super well versed in what conda's main uses are. Python's whole tooling situation has felt like a nightmare & I've tried to keep far away, but I've had to face it a lot more recently because it's so prevalent for AI. Thankfully uv seems to have done a huge amount of what I need. Still, if the concern is language-agnostic ways to use tooling, mise (nee rtx) is the 1000 pound gorilla in the room today.…

Hadn't heard about that before, looks interesting. But AFAICS mise focuses on installing tools, not actually all dependencies. It integrates with the languages dependency management tools, which doesn't help you if the language doesn't even have one or the integration wasn't written yet.

I'd rather see more adoption of guix for this purpose. It is a single package manager with a functional approach that allows for introspection of all dependencies (down to the bootstrap toolchains used to build the bootstrap toolchains that build your toolchains, which is something that AFAIK no other package manager except for nix can do), has a fairly large package repository, straightforward locking, actually tested packages, and very easy build recipes (unlike conda-forge...).

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#63

Post by matrss »

jcrben wrote: post #61
matrss wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A single one of the gfortran packages released about 20 hours ago already has 362 downloads, so I think it is safe to say that the non-python users of conda-forge are more than just a handful. If you don't need it that's fine, no one is stopping you from using PyPI and uv instead. But for some that is not a replacement. And yes, some things about conda(-forge) could be described as bloated. I particularly dislike the…

362 downloads over 20 hours isn't that impressive. Not saying Anaconda isn't great. Don't have much experience with it but I hope the devs get paid for all the value delivered, which I think is largem

Well, it is more than a handful, that was the only point.

You seem to be conflating Anaconda with the conda ecosystem. This package is from conda-forge, which is a community project sponsored by Anaconda but otherwise unrelated to it.

I couldn't care less for Anaconda, but with conda-forge and pixi there is a decent general purpose and language-agnostic package management tool for development purposes in the conda ecosystem.

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#64

Post by PoutCo »

scblock wrote: post #6
lotsalaser wrote: post #4

Wait, is this anaconda python, my favorite python installation? Oh no, it's now an AI company? Is my favorite python installation going to get enshittified?

That happened last year, when they changed their license terms and started shaking people down for money. I wouldn't touch it. https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/08/anaconda_puts_the_squ... https://licenseware.io/retrospective-on-anacondas-2024-licen... https://www.cdotrends.com/story/4173/anaconda-threatens-lega... https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/intel-sued-copyrigh...

The same story again and again...

In the meantime, I am volunteering for a non-profit that helps FOSS projects secure sustainable funding, and goodness, that is soooo hard! Enterprises (where money is) are afraid of FOSS, and many prefer to engage commercially with commercial open source companies, backed by VCs

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#65

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

Balinares wrote: post #52
myth_drannon wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Setting up a python environment for ML work (pytorch + Nvidia) is simpler with Anaconda, it's a pure dependency nightmare doing it with something else.

Counterpoint: conda is a constant, neverending source of pure dependency nightmares here, that consistently costs us a two-digit percentage of velocity. I'm glad it's working for you, but I really wouldn't generalize. Or recommend it to anyone getting into Python. Use uv, new people, for real.

To be fair, both you and GP are correct. Conda is really really painful to maintain, and it's also much much better for python stuff that relies on native libraries (i.e. C/Fortran/Cuda).

Like, I love uv but GDAL (to use a random recent example) is much easier to install and maintain with conda.

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#66

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #28

other than having "AI" in the name, I didn't see anything about its "AI Platform" that's actually AI in a meaningful way

To be fair, the easiest way to maintain dependencies for computing on GPUs is defintely conda. Anything else requires a bunch more manual toil.

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#67

Post by blitzar »

andrepd wrote: post #49
blitzar wrote: post #2

> This news comes on the heels of Anaconda’s newly launched AI Platform Ahh makes sense now.

The efficient hand of capitalism at work once again allocating capital to the most effective endeavours.

> the most effective endeavours

Slapping Ai somewhere, anywhere on every page of the pitch deck is the most effective endeavour of the 2020's

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#68

Post by blitzar »

p1esk wrote: post #54
blitzar wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're a pure pre revenue play.

Do you think Anaconda founders will ever become billionaires? If not, why would you expect it for Astral founders?

Anaconda just raised funds at a valuation of 1.5B so they are well on their way.

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#69

Post by insane_dreamer »

disgruntledphd2 wrote: post #66
insane_dreamer wrote: post #28

other than having "AI" in the name, I didn't see anything about its "AI Platform" that's actually AI in a meaningful way

To be fair, the easiest way to maintain dependencies for computing on GPUs is defintely conda. Anything else requires a bunch more manual toil.

Sure. We use conda in that way. But it doesn’t make anaconda an AI company

Re: Anaconda Raises $150M Series C

#70

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #69
disgruntledphd2 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, the easiest way to maintain dependencies for computing on GPUs is defintely conda. Anything else requires a bunch more manual toil.

Sure. We use conda in that way. But it doesn’t make anaconda an AI company

They're closer than lots of other 'AI' companies.
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