We Design Tools That Make It Easier for People to Focus on the Work That Matters Most: Jason VandeBoom, CEO of ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a customer experience automation provider based in Chicago. Since its launch in 2003, it has grown to support more than 180,000 businesses across over 170 countries. The company offers email marketing, CRM, and sales automation in one platform, helping small and mid-sized businesses maintain personalization while improving efficiency.

Jason VandeBoom, founder and CEO, built ActiveCampaign to give businesses access to software that enables timely and relevant communication without excessive complexity. The platform integrates with numerous tools like Shopify, Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier. That extensive integration suite allows teams to connect systems and coordinate customer outreach without managing multiple standalone solutions.

ActiveCampaign continues to refine its workflows and interfaces based on user feedback. The result is a system designed to help businesses operate better, not to stand out on awards lists or tech headlines.

Automation That Adapts

ActiveCampaign offers a drag-and-drop automation builder where users map out multi-step campaigns without coding. Businesses can trigger emails based on behavior, link clicks, page visits, purchases, and adjust follow-up steps such as lead scoring or internal notifications.

A salesperson who monitors a high-value lead can receive an instant alert when the lead revisits the website. A nonprofit can launch a renewal campaign when a donor does not complete a recurring gift. An online retailer can create a reactivation email when a customer abandons a cart.

Advanced segmentation tools let businesses separate contacts by location, engagement level, purchase history, and other criteria. That data drives more relevant campaigns and better use of limited marketing budgets.

Integration and Collaboration

Rather than building an all-in-one stack, ActiveCampaign has focused on working well with other systems. It plugs into e-commerce platforms, calendar and appointment apps, analytics tools, and messaging services. That integration focus lets customers continue using systems they prefer while adding automation on top.

Built-in CRM features support task tracking, deal pipelines, and contact notes. The platform keeps marketing and sales aligned by keeping all customer activity in one place.

To improve user outcomes, the company offers webinars, a searchable help center, and one-to-one onboarding. These resources aim to help businesses use the platform effectively, rather than chase features they do not need.

Revenue, Not Hype-Driven Growth

ActiveCampaign operated without outside investment for more than 13 years. The decision to raise funds began in 2016, with a $20 million round. A $100 million Series B followed in 2020, and a Series C in 2021 raised $240 million and valued the company at over $3 billion.

From the start the emphasis remained on product quality and customer needs. Growth strategies focused on serving more customers and improving service, not on boosting valuation headlines.

Revenue from customers provided the foundation. With this base in place, investments went toward hiring engineers, support staff, and expanding global operations. The company now employs more than 1,000 people across offices in Chicago, Indianapolis, Dublin, and Sydney.

Global Reach, Local Support

More than half of ActiveCampaign’s customer base lies outside the United States. To best support international users, the company has added language support, regional compliance features, and integration with local tools.

Personnel in international offices provide tailored support and guidance for local workflows. The company engages with regional user communities and hosts webinars relevant to specific markets.

These local efforts combine with global infrastructure to create a system that scales without forcing businesses into a one-size-fits-all mold.

What You See is What You Use

When asked what differentiates ActiveCampaign’s platform, Jason emphasizes simplicity and relevance. The platform includes machine learning tools to predict the best send times and score leads. These tools work in the background without requiring users to understand how they function.

Updates to the product are measured. The team asks whether a feature solves a real problem or simply adds complexity. Priorities go to stability, usability, and user benefit.

The company continues to offer direct support and practical onboarding, ensuring users make the most of the system. This emphasis on utility over flair represents the thinking behind every feature and interface tweak.

Guided by Results

Customer success drives company strategy. A bakery in London tripled its orders after adopting automated email workflows. A small consultancy in Canada cut its lead response time in half. An education provider in South Africa improved enrolment through targeted messaging.

These types of case studies are shared within the company to reinforce focus on results instead of trends or buzzwords. The behavior that matters is use, not adoption.

User retention is high. Businesses that begin using ActiveCampaign early continue to add contacts and automation as they grow. These are long-term users growing at their own pace.

A Different View on Progress

ActiveCampaign has moved past the hype cycle that often dominates SaaS narratives. Technology features such as AI are adopted only if they improve customer workflow today. The platform continues to evolve with minimal disruption.

Recent additions include event follow-up, internal notifications to teams, and revenue attribution tools. These additions build on existing functionality without forcing users to revisit foundational workflows.

Hiring remains deliberate. Every new role aims to strengthen the product or customer experience. Market expansion is based on demand, not agenda. Roadmap items are tested against real user needs, not speculative trends.

A Different Kind of Success

ActiveCampaign’s journey shows another path for software companies. It has focused on meaningful features that drive real outcomes. It has delivered value without complexity or distraction. When business leaders hear from customers about improved order rates or stronger engagement, that response becomes the best measure of success.

Jason continues to guide the company with the same logic he applied from the start. He believes in building software that people genuinely need and making sure they can use it effectively. That discipline provides a foundation for a firm that values long-term impact over short-term attention.

By focusing on products that perform and services that support, ActiveCampaign has built an engine that works. For its customers and its own future.

Jason VandeBoom, Founder & CEO, ActiveCampaign

Automation does what you tell it to. Autonomous marketing figures out your next best move, aligns it to your goals, and then does it for you.

Behind our conversational interface lies an incredibly powerful marketing automation engine built to support even the most advanced customer journeys.

Whether you're building complex email automations or just need to send your best newsletter yet, ActiveCampaign adapts to your goals.