Digital Science acquires Virtual Knowledge Graph pioneer Ontopic
Digital Science has announced the acquisition of Ontopic, a specialist in Virtual Knowledge Graph (VKG) technology, in a move aimed at strengthening its capabilities in semantic data and enterprise AI.
Ontopic, based in Bolzano, Italy, is a spin-off from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and is known for its work on Ontop, an open-source framework for Virtual Knowledge Graphs and Ontology-Based Data Access (OBDA). The acquisition forms part of Digital Science’s wider strategy to “democratising research data and providing enterprise-grade AI solutions that transform fragmented data into actionable knowledge.”
Central to the deal is the integration of Ontopic’s flagship product, Ontopic Studio, with metaphactory, Digital Science’s knowledge democratisation platform. The combined offering will allow organisations to build and query knowledge graphs directly from existing data sources, avoiding the need for complex and costly data transformation processes. The company says this creates a more streamlined, end-to-end pipeline for what it describes as a “Knowledge-First” enterprise.
The Ontopic team will join Digital Science’s newly established Knowledge Graph Competency group, which will act as a centre of excellence for semantic technologies across its portfolio, including Dimensions and Altmetric.
Sebastian Schmidt, EVP of the Enterprise segment at Digital Science, said: “Our customers have consistently voiced a need for more agile ways to integrate data into their semantic layers and knowledge graphs. By welcoming Ontopic into the fold, we are directly answering that call. Ontopic has deep expertise in data virtualisation, combined with a sophisticated approach to mapping management and automation. This represents a key advancement in our commitment to delivering a truly comprehensive and scalable platform, significantly enhancing the coherence and capability of our Enterprise Information Architecture solution.”
Peter Hopfgartner, CEO and co-Founder of Ontopic, added: “Joining Digital Science is a pivotal moment for Ontopic. Our customers are no longer just looking for data integration; they are building the brain of their enterprise. By combining our virtualisation technology with metaphacts, we are delivering a robust Semantic Layer that serves as the essential foundation for Trustworthy AI. Together, we enable AI agents to reason over real-time, distributed data with full context and zero duplication. We aren’t just helping companies find their data; we’re helping them turn it into an intelligent, autonomous asset.”
Alex Weissensteiner, Rector at the Free University of Bolzano (unibz), said: “We believed in Ontopic from the outset, recognising its strong potential as an initiative rooted in excellent research and innovation. Today, its acquisition by a global knowledge and technology company confirms the soundness of that vision. Particularly significant is the fact that Ontopic will remain headquartered in Bolzano, maintaining here its research and development focus in the field of Virtual Knowledge Graphs.”
For more information, visit www.digital-science.com or https://ontopic.ai/en/