Tableau Software has acquired ClearGraph, a US startup that enables smart data discovery and data analysis through natural language query technology. Tableau plans to integrate ClearGraph’s technology into Tableau’s products, allowing people to interact with their data by using natural language to ask questions and search for insights.

ClearGraph brings a consumer-like experience to users by connecting disparate data sources and making them accessible and intelligible through simple conversational style search.

ClearGraph’s natural language query technology stores semantic data in knowledge graphs that can expand and learn over time.

Accessing and analyzing data using ClearGraph requires no technical training, as the system can infer users’ intent through natural language. For example, people could ask questions such as, “Total sales by customers who purchased staples in Melbourne,” then filter to, “orders in the last 30 days,” then group by, “project owner’s department.”

“We founded ClearGraph because we saw a need to bridge the gap between humans and computers through natural language, especially when it comes to exploring data,” said Andrew Vigneault, CEO of ClearGraph. “Tableau is a natural fit for us because we have similar missions, cultures and genuine desire to help more people around the world access, interact with and get answers from their data.”

ClearGraph was founded in 2014 by Andrew Vigneault and Ryan Atallah. The team recruited Stanford PhD graduate Alex Djalali, who specialises in computational linguistics, to develop the product along with several other engineers. ClearGraph is used by dozens of customers, including large enterprises. As part of the acquisition, employees will join Tableau in its Palo Alto office. The team will be focused on integrating ClearGraph’s underlying technology into Tableau products.

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