DataTorrent, a data processing company that developed a Hadoop-based real-time big data streaming platform, has raised $8 million in a Series A round of funding.

The round of funding is being led by August Capital and closed in May 2013. DataTorrent aims to make building real-time distributed applications faster and easier due to its built-in library of more than 250 operators.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company previously raised $750,000 in a seed round with participation from Morado Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures and Farzad Nazem that closed in May 2012.

In conjunction with the funding announcement, DataTorrent also released developer and evaluation versions of the DataTorrent platform at the Hadoop Summit 2013 in San Jose, Calif. DataTorrent is the first big data platform built exclusively on Hadoop to power instantaneous data processing, analytics and action, according to Phu Hoang, co-founder and CEO of DataTorrent. 

“We’re on the verge of a tectonic shift between just knowing about what’s going on and being able to act on it,” Hoang said in a statement. “Not only does DataTorrent offer companies working on big data a way to know what’s happening with their business in real time, but we enable them to act on it in real time as well. We are pleased to be leading this shift in the industry.”

Hoang is a 12-year Yahoo veteran and former EVP of engineering at Yahoo. The company’s co-founder, Amol Kekre, built the Yahoo quotes streaming service and helped lead Yahoo’s Hadoop efforts.

Unlike traditional batch processing that can take hours, DataTorrent claims to execute at tens of millions of data items per second, providing businesses with unequaled access to data.

“DataTorrent is at the forefront of the next wave of solutions that will empower companies to use big data in innovative and exciting ways,” said David Hornick, a partner with August Capital.  “We are investing in DataTorrent as we expect it will open up new and easier possibilities for businesses looking for comprehensive, real-time big data solutions.”

Hornik will also join DataTorrent’s board, which consists of Ash Patel of Morado Ventures, and co-founders Hoang and Kekre.