Jasc Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Robert Voit |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Fate | Acquired by Corel Corporation |
| Headquarters | Eden Prairie, Minnesota , United States |
Key people | Robert Voit (founder) |
| Products | Paint Shop Pro, Image Robot, Animation Shop, Media Center Plus, Webdraw, After Shot (later Photo Album) |
Number of employees | 120 |
| Parent | Corel Corporation (from 2004) |
Jasc Software, Inc. was a software company located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, established by Robert Voit, the developer behind the well-known graphics editing application Paint Shop Pro. The firm produced several other software products, including:
- Image Robot
- Animation Shop
- Media Center Plus
- Webdraw
- After Shot (which was later renamed Photo Album)
On October 14, 2004, Corel Corporation declared its intention to acquire Jasc Software, with the transaction anticipated to finalize by the end of that same month. Corel maintained the former Jasc office in Minneapolis to continue supporting Paint Shop operations. Amish Mehta continued serving as Corel’s CEO, and a number of senior managers from Jasc integrated into Corel’s workforce. At the time of acquisition, Jasc employed 120 people and reported revenues exceeding $30 million.
The Minneapolis office was shut down by Corel on November 28, 2007, marking the end of Jasc’s physical operations there. Although some roles remained locally, the majority of activities were relocated to other Corel sites.
The term "Jasc" was originally an acronym for "Just Another Software Company," a temporary name created by Voit before fully committing to the venture. Subsequently, he playfully reinterpreted it as "Jets and Software Company," inspired by his previous career as a commercial airline pilot before founding Jasc.
Robert Voit
Robert Voit, a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, is the founder of Jasc Software. He graduated in 1983 with a degree in computer science complemented by an aviation minor. After working as a DC-9 pilot, Voit established Jasc Software and developed Paint Shop Pro in 1991.