DURHAM – Joe Colopy moved on from email marketing software firm Bronto years ago but that doesn’t mean he’s happy Oracle Netsuite has declared “end of life” for the email marketing platform.
“It’s been almost six years since I sold, and five years since I left,” said Colopy, co-founder of Bronto Software and now partner of Jurassic Capital, reacting to the news that came from Oracle Netsuite on Tuesday declared that the company assigned “end of life” status to the Bronto Marketing Platform.
“Bronto has long been absorbed within the Oracle mothership, and I’m sure it’s gone through many, many changes,” said Colopy in an interview with WRAL TechWire. “It’s sad, it’s a bit bittersweet, but that’s how these things go.”
Oracle NetSuite declares ‘end of life’ for Bronto Marketing Platform
Nearly every acquired company will go this route, said Colopy. He noted that initially software typically stays the same, and then changes are made, then more changes, and eventually, the product is integrated into the company’s other offerings or becomes obsolete due to other emerging technologies or areas of investment.
“As a founder, when you sell your company, you have to know that this is likely to happen,” he added. “But of course, companies aren’t just products, they’re really the people involved.”
“Ultimately, Bronto wasn’t really about the product. It was about our people there, who were building their careers, and enjoying their work environment.”
Some former Bronto employees went on to launch startups—Eric Boggs of RevBoss, Matt Williamson of Windsor Circle, Chris Geiss, founder of Seguno – as a more recent Bronto offspring along with Matt and Eric.among others—and many have advanced in their careers, taking leadership positions at companies located in the Triangle and across the country.
“These people are now launching companies and leading great teams,” said Colopy. “From that point of view, the spirit of Bronto lives on.”
Just as Colopy launched Bronto after building his career and skill set at Red Hat, the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Triangle is strong, said Colopy, because talent is excellent, and because people are supported in their careers.
“We didn’t do it all by ourselves, and we didn’t build a company entirely from scratch,” said Colopy. “We had great people.”
Colopy now runs Jurassic Capital, which invests in growth-stage B2B startup companies.
