Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Invests in Ruby on Rails Creator 37 Signals

WebKnowHow
Friday, July 21, 2006; 07:03 AM

Chicago-based 37 Signals, famous for creating the Ruby on Rails framework and a number of collaboration software-as-a-service solutions, announced on their blog that they have received investment from Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.  No financial details have been disclosed so far, and the announcement stresses only on terms like "boost of ambition" and "vote of confidence."

37 Signals' line of SaaS products.

37 Signals have, until now, rejected external investment.  Aside from the Ruby of Rails framework, they are responsible for releasing five other products (Basecamp, Backpack, Campfire, Tadalist, and Writeboard) adopted by over 500,000 people.  The company has also released a book and participated in numerous conferences worldwide.

The investment from Jeff Bezos came through his foundation Bezos Expeditions. Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore, and the company has since grown into an extremely popular and influential online retailer.