SpikeSource

About SpikeSource

SpikeSource operated in the open-source software services sector, founded in 2003 and incubated by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The company was steered by CEO Kim Polese, a prominent Silicon Valley figure recognized for her role as the original product manager for Java at Sun Microsystems and as co-founder of Marimba. Polese's background in software development and entrepreneurship, including leading Marimba to a successful public offering and eventual acquisition, shaped SpikeSource's direction.

The firm's core business was to provide a platform for assembling, testing, certifying, and managing open-source software stacks. It addressed the challenge faced by enterprises of integrating and maintaining various open-source components, which often required significant internal IT resources. SpikeSource developed automated testing technology to ensure that different open-source applications, such as CRM, content management, and business intelligence tools, would work together seamlessly. Its SpikeNet platform monitored and managed patches and updates, offering a single point of contact for support. Initially targeting large corporations, the company later shifted its strategy to serve small and medium-sized businesses through a network of value-added resellers.

SpikeSource's business model was subscription-based, providing partners and clients with access to its SpikeIgnite platform for a fee. The company secured significant funding from investors including Fidelity Ventures, Intel Capital, CMEA Ventures, and DAG Ventures. A notable milestone was a $10 million investment from Intel in 2008, which was also a customer, using the service to validate software compliance with its hardware. In November 2010, the assets of SpikeSource were acquired by Black Duck Software, a company specializing in managing the use of open-source software.