[3][4][5] 10gen originally aimed to build a platform as a service architecture based entirely on open source components; however, the company was unable to find an existing database platform that met their "principles" for a cloud architecture.

As a result, the company began to develop a document-oriented database system it called MongoDB.

After realizing the potential of the software on its own, 10gen's team decided to scrap its cloud platform and focus on maintaining MongoDB instead.

[16] The following year, in 2019, MongoDB acquired a mobile-focused database company called Realm for $39 million.

[14] MongoDB Inc., then known as 10gen, has received funding from the U.S. Government through the CIA-sponsored venture capital arm In-Q-Tel.