---
title: "Real-time feature stores — niche opportunity inside Data Infrastructure"
url: https://signals.gitdealflow.com/niche-down/data-infrastructure/real-time-feature-stores
description: "Feature stores with sub-second freshness for online ML."
source: VC Deal Flow Signal
---
# Real-time feature stores

> Feature stores with sub-second freshness for online ML.

**Sector**: [Data Infrastructure](https://signals.gitdealflow.com/niche-down/data-infrastructure)  
**Build cost**: Team-sized build  
**Deal velocity**: Trickle — one deal per quarter

## Why now

Real-time fraud, personalization, and ranking all need real-time features. Most teams build it badly.

## What the signal looks like

Repos with streaming-ingest adapters (Kafka, Kinesis), point-in-time correctness libraries, and serving APIs with caching.

## Public examples

*Public projects + categories only — we never name founders tracked inside the paid product.*

- Tecton shape
- Hopsworks
- Feast + custom serving

## What this displaces

A Lambda + DynamoDB + crossed fingers.

## Our build-vs-invest call

Heavy build. Fund only with prior ML-platform team. The wedge is one industry (fintech, e-commerce, ads).

## Frequently asked

### Buyer?

ML platform teams at ML-heavy companies.

### Pricing?

$100k-1M+/year.

### Defensibility?

Performance + correctness + integrations.

## Canonical

https://signals.gitdealflow.com/niche-down/data-infrastructure/real-time-feature-stores