• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
TechSnowflake

Hot tech upstart Snowflake reveals plans to go beyond its niche

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 8, 2021, 9:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Buzzy cloud-software company Snowflake has some big long-term plans: becoming a major rival to business tech giants like Oracle and Microsoft.

The strategy to get there, revealed Tuesday, is to make Snowflake more than just a service that clients use to store and analyze their own data. Rather, the company will host business software and data sets that customers can tap when they want.

“Our end game is to build a massive data cloud where anybody with a Snowflake account is plugged in,” CEO Frank Slootman tells Fortune.

Snowflake’s existing cloud-database business is already doing well. In the first quarter, companywide sales jumped 110% from the same period a year earlier to $229 million. And the amount of money customers had committed to spend in the future with Snowflake more than tripled to $1.4 billion.

Since its initial public offering in September, Snowflake’s shares have been volatile. Its stock, priced at $120 in the IPO, peaked at $429 in December, plunged to less than $185 a few weeks ago, and then rebounded to $243 on Friday.

Despite the gyrations, many investors expect Snowflake to become one of the next big things. In fact, the buzz is so great that the company’s market value of $72 billion tops those of far bigger and more established tech companies like VMware, Hewlett Packard, and Workday.

Yet Snowflake faces significant challenges in its rivalry with Oracle, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and startups like Databricks. For one thing, it’s losing huge amounts of money—$203 million in the most recent quarter alone. It’s also racing to add features and improve performance to its cloud-database offerings as rivals do the same.

Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss voiced optimism about Snowflake before the latest expansion plans were announced. In a recent note, he wrote, “Snowflake is executing well on its strategy to sign and then significantly expand large customers” and that it has shown “early progress advancing its vision as an enterprise data cloud platform.”

To justify its market value and drive its stock even higher, Snowflake plans to expand beyond its early business that focused on storing and analyzing limited kinds of business data, known as a data warehouse. “Data warehousing is such an outdated concept compared to what we’re pursuing with the data cloud,” CEO Slootman says.

Under the new Snowflake, customers would be able to write their own applications that would run on Snowflake’s system. Clients would also be able to use outside applications to tap directly into data stored with Snowflake.

And while Snowflake has long hosted sets of data that clients can use, like historical weather or economic figures, it’s adding ways for the owners of that data to charge for its use within Snowflake’s system.

Companies that have agreed to build apps that run on Snowflake’s system include money manager BlackRock, food delivery service Instacart, and software developer Adobe. Meanwhile, companies including IT consulting company Infosys, data security firm Okera, and A.I. automation company DataRobot have all agreed to make their outside software apps interoperate with Snowflake’s systems.

A push for stricter rules that limit the flow of data in Europe and elsewhere could make Snowflake more useful. Already, customers can set rules about how data is used within the customer’s own organization. Now a customer using Snowflake can let another customer use its data to analyze or train an A.I. system without letting the other actually see or share any of the data. Snowflake has even invented the concept of a “data clean room,” in which a user’s data can be analyzed without any chance of being copied.

Amid the pandemic, and the remote-work trend, Snowflake recently stopped calling its San Mateo, Calif., office its legal headquarters. It now lists its base of operations as “No-Headquarters/Bozeman, Montana.”

“The whole notion of a ‘headquarters’ is inappropriate for modern enterprises that are globally distributed,” Slootman explains. “The idea that all the important people are in one place, and they’re hanging out together, and having lunch together, and they think big thoughts and make big decisions, and everybody else is sort of far removed from the action? This is complete nonsense.”

The shift is also about finding cheaper and more plentiful programmers and engineers outside of Silicon Valley, the CEO adds.

So why do the company’s filings list Bozeman as its sort-of headquarters? Regulations require companies to declare a headquarters where both CEO and CFO live, and Slootman and CFO Mike Scarpelli both have houses in Bozeman.

“The whole Bozeman thing was not our idea,” Slootman says. “I would not have had another executive office if it wasn’t for the government saying you have to have one.”

Our mission to make business better is fueled by readers like you. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.
About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

LaShonda Anderson-Williams, chief customer and commercial officer at Salesforce, speaking at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
How to run a company when the AI agents vastly outnumber the humans
By Alexei OreskovicJune 18, 2026
3 hours ago
LinkedIn research says half of C-suite leaders are flying blind on AI—and its CBO says they can’t fix it the way they’re trying
Future of WorkLeadership
LinkedIn research says half of C-suite leaders are flying blind on AI—and its CBO says they can’t fix it the way they’re trying
By Nick LichtenbergJune 18, 2026
3 hours ago
Sanders stands at a podium with a poster that reads "fight oligarchy"
PoliticsBernie Sanders
‘Make AI work for ordinary people’: Bernie Sanders wants to pay you $1,000 every year from a government stake in AI companies 
By Jacqueline MunisJune 18, 2026
5 hours ago
Exclusive: Son of pro-crypto New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raises $30 million to launch a derivatives exchange
CryptoPolitics
Exclusive: Son of pro-crypto New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raises $30 million to launch a derivatives exchange
By Ben WeissJune 18, 2026
5 hours ago
Entry-level work didn’t disappear, PwC finds with ‘seniorization.’ It just morphed into something young workers can’t get
Future of Workentry level
Entry-level work didn’t disappear, PwC finds with ‘seniorization.’ It just morphed into something young workers can’t get
By Nick LichtenbergJune 18, 2026
6 hours ago
Man pushing AI in a cart upwards.
NewslettersEye on AI
AI’s free-for-all era may be coming to an end—as companies start counting the cost
By Beatrice NolanJune 18, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
16 hours ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
3 days ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago
Vanguard's alarming state of retirement in 2026: The average American has $167,970 in their account—or they have $44,115
Personal Finance
Vanguard's alarming state of retirement in 2026: The average American has $167,970 in their account—or they have $44,115
By Nick LichtenbergJune 17, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.