ExactTarget

Leading independent cloud-based email and cross-channel marketing automation platform prior to acquisition; one of the top two or three enterprise marketing SaaS providers globally at time of acquisition

ExactTarget was a cloud-based digital marketing automation company founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2000. The company built one of the most comprehensive email marketing and cross-channel campaign management platforms of its era, enabling enterprise marketers to orchestrate personalized communications across email, mobile, social, and web channels at scale. ExactTarget went public on the NYSE under the ticker 'ET' in 2012, cementing its position as a leading independent SaaS marketing platform before its landmark acquisition. At its peak, ExactTarget served thousands of global brands and enterprise clients, offering tools for email marketing, marketing automation, mobile messaging, social media marketing, and data-driven personalization. Its 2012 acquisition of Pardot, a B2B marketing automation platform, significantly expanded its capabilities and market reach. The platform was known for its robust API ecosystem, deep CRM integrations, and enterprise-grade deliverability infrastructure, making it a preferred choice for large-scale digital marketing operations. In July 2013, Salesforce acquired ExactTarget for approximately $2.5 billion — one of the largest SaaS acquisitions of its time — and used it as the cornerstone of what became Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The ExactTarget brand was gradually retired as Salesforce unified its marketing product suite under the Marketing Cloud umbrella. ExactTarget's technology, infrastructure, and talent formed the backbone of Salesforce Marketing Cloud's email studio, journey builder, and data management capabilities, leaving a lasting legacy on the broader marketing technology landscape.