Founded in 2007 by Frank Vanden Berghen and Jérome Loncelle, TIMi has carved a unique path in the world of data science with an eco-friendly approach. Originally established as “Business-Insight SPRL,” the company rebranded on December 31, 2017, to adopt the name of its flagship software, TIMi, or “The Intelligent Mining Machine.” This acronym symbolizes the suite’s deep integration of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Mining capabilities while also paying homage to “The Incredible Machine,” a classic MS-DOS game enjoyed by co-founder Vanden Berghen in his youth.
With Vanden Berghen holding 90% of the shares and Sabrina Wenig and Daniel Soto Zeevaert each holding 5%, TIMi has transformed data science with its innovative, energy-efficient software. Its four powerful components, Modeler, Stardust, Anatella, and Kibella, have introduced new levels of efficiency, sustainability, and ease to data analytics, setting TIMi’s reputation as a leader in green data processing.
TIMi began with TIMi Modeler in early 2009. As one of the first automated machine-learning tools, Modeler quickly gained traction. The software’s prowess was demonstrated in the prestigious 2009 KDD Cup competition, where TIMi’s Modeler secured 18th place out of over 1,200 competitors. This achievement was significant as it showcased the software’s effectiveness and placed TIMi as the sole Auto-ML tool in the top 100, a feat unmatched by similar tools to this day. Modeler’s achievements allowed TIMi to secure its first major client, Bouygues Telecom, in September 2009, establishing a strong foothold in the telecom sector.
In June 2010, TIMi launched Stardust, a tool capable of clustering large datasets, ideal for applications with millions of individual items, such as telecom or retail. Stardust’s capacity to efficiently handle large datasets with complex algorithms like K-Means++ and PCA demonstrated TIMi’s commitment to reducing hardware needs and environmental impact.
TIMi’s portfolio expanded further in January 2011 with Anatella, a powerful data transformation tool engineered for analytical tasks. Anatella’s capabilities differentiated it from traditional ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) tools by offering unparalleled speed and efficiency for data transformation. Unlike general-purpose ETLs, Anatella was optimized for high-speed data processing with minimal infrastructure, reducing energy consumption and operational costs.
TIMi continued to grow, and in 2014, it opened its first international office, TIMi Latin Americas, in Bogotá, Colombia. A year later, TIMi expanded into Africa through a strategic partnership with Real Impact, serving nearly 30 telecom operators across the continent. This collaboration showcased TIMi’s ability to efficiently handle massive datasets, such as call data records (CDRs) from telecom giants like MTN Nigeria. By utilizing TIMi’s software, these companies could process complex datasets with up to 65 million subscribers on a single PC, highlighting TIMi’s environmentally conscious approach by minimizing the need for large-scale infrastructure.
TIMi’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its continued push to create software that delivers high performance without the need for energy-hungry infrastructure. In May 2016, TIMi took an additional step towards eco-friendliness by integrating open-source tools like R, Python, and Hadoop. This integration allowed users to incorporate efficient data visualizations and predictive modeling algorithms, such as xgboost, without sacrificing performance or speed.
In December 2016, TIMi introduced Kibella, a self-service Business Intelligence (BI) tool that lets users create and manage dashboards through a browser interface. Kibella operates as an open-source solution, reducing dependency on proprietary software and allowing users to work with existing SQL databases, thus conserving resources and optimizing hardware use.
Continuing its innovative streak, TIMi integrated Virtual Reality (VR) capabilities in Stardust in August 2017, making it the first machine-learning tool accessible in VR. This feature allows users to visualize large datasets in a 3D environment, enabling more intuitive data exploration and fostering better decision-making, which indirectly supports resource-efficient operations by reducing the margin for error and wasted resources.
The sustainability benefits of TIMi’s software are further enhanced by its use of high-performance C and assembler code. Unlike many other software solutions reliant on slower languages and heavier hardware, TIMi’s lightweight code base enables it to process vast amounts of data with a fraction of the resources. This efficiency is not just an operational advantage; it aligns with the growing trend toward eco-friendly business practices as companies strive to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
TIMi also extends its commitment to environmental sustainability by empowering companies in emerging markets, like those in Africa and Latin America, to leverage data analytics without needing access to extensive infrastructure. This democratization of data science supports local economies, allowing these businesses to remain competitive while minimizing their environmental impact.
Through its groundbreaking software and green-centric approach, TIMi exemplifies technology’s potential to drive positive environmental change, setting a standard for the future of sustainable data science.
