Bronto Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Marketing automation software |
| Founded | 2002 in Durham, North Carolina, United States |
| Founder | Joe Colopy, Chaz Felix |
| Fate | Acquired by NetSuite in April 2015; platform retired May 31, 2022 |
| Headquarters | Durham , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Joe Colopy (CEO), Chaz Felix (COO) |
| Products | Bronto Marketing Platform |
Number of employees | 152 (2012) |
| Parent | Oracle (via NetSuite) |
Oracle Bronto delivers a cloud-based marketing automation platform designed specifically for commerce, catering to both mid-sized and large-scale enterprises.
History
Bronto Software was established in 2002 in Durham, North Carolina, by Joe Colopy (serving as CEO) and Chaz Felix (COO). The company set up its main office within the American Tobacco District. The name "Bronto" originates from Colopy’s childhood fascination with dinosaurs.
To accommodate rapid expansion, Bronto increased its office capacity in 2011 and launched a London branch in 2012 to target growth within the European market. That same year, the company experienced a 54% revenue surge and expanded its workforce by 40%, reaching a total of 118 employees. By the end of 2012, Bronto had earned recognition as the top self-service email provider and ranked second overall among email service providers according to Internet Retailer Top 1000. At that point, the company employed 152 people across its Durham and London locations. Further international growth occurred in 2014 with the opening of an office in Sydney, Australia.
On August 13, 2014, Bronto doubled the size of its headquarters at the American Tobacco Campus to 80,000 square feet, underscoring its dedication to growth and innovation within the Research Triangle area.
In April 2015, Bronto Software was acquired by NetSuite (which Oracle purchased in 2016) for $200 million. Subsequently, on March 2, 2021, Oracle NetSuite announced that the Bronto Email Marketing Platform would be retired, with all services ceasing on May 31, 2022.
Products and services
The Bronto Marketing Platform allows users to design flowchart-based campaigns, automate their execution, and analyze performance metrics. It supports integration across email, SMS, Twitter, and Facebook marketing channels. The platform includes an extensive API enabling both custom and standard integrations with partners such as Magento, Omniture, Google, Demandware, MarketLive, alongside other web analytics and e-commerce service providers.
Bronto Software also organized an annual multi-day user conference concentrating on e-commerce marketing through email, mobile, and social media campaigns. Typically held in mid-April in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, these events have showcased keynote presentations by CEO Joe Colopy, COO Chaz Felix, and industry leaders including Sucharita Mulpuru (Forrester Research), Lauren Freedman (The e-tailing group), Anne Holland (Anne Holland Ventures), Gary Vaynerchuk, among other prominent entrepreneurs.
Recognition
Bronto Software secured a place on the Inc 5000 list for six successive years (2009–2014) and was acknowledged as one of North America’s fastest-growing software companies. In 2011, it received the Software Company of the Year award from the NCTA and ranked No. 18 on the Triangle Business Journal’s Fast 50 list highlighting rapidly expanding privately held companies in the region.
The company earned the Stevie Award for Best Customer Service Department from the American Business Awards in both 2009 and 2010. Additionally, it was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by the Triangle Business Journal in 2010, 2011, 2012, and again in 2014. Bronto was also a finalist for the SIIA CODiE Award for Best Marketing Solution in 2011 and 2012, as well as for Best Marketing Automation Solution in 2014, 2015, and 2016.