Behind the Site

37signals

basecamp.com

37signals is the Chicago software maker behind Basecamp project management and HEY email.

  • Business software / SaaS
  • active
  • Founded 1999
  • Researched Sep 2026
Confirmed
Age27 yearsDomain registered 1994
Confirmed
Based inChicago, Illinois
Unverified
Employees11-50Wikipedia infobox cites 34 employees for 2021; a later aggregator (TheOrg) lists a 51-200 band without a date
Likely
FundingVenture fundedAngel / minority stake
Likely
PlatformsWeb, iPhone
Confirmed
Founders4 foundersJason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson, Carlos Segura, Ernest Kim

The story

37signals was founded in 1999 in Chicago as a web design agency by Jason Fried, Carlos Segura and Ernest Kim, later building Basecamp (2004) and hiring David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails, as a partner. The company renamed itself Basecamp in 2014 to focus on that single product, then reverted to the 37signals name in 2022 after also launching the HEY email service. It remains privately held, run by Fried (CEO) and Heinemeier Hansson (CTO), and operates Basecamp and HEY as its main products today.

Timeline

  1. Founded1999

    37signals founded

    Jason Fried, Carlos Segura and Ernest Kim start a Chicago web design firm

  2. Launch2004

    Basecamp launches

    First product ships; Ruby on Rails extracted and open-sourced

  3. FundingJul 2006

    Bezos invests

    Jeff Bezos takes a minority stake via Bezos Expeditions

  4. Launch2007

    Highrise CRM launches

    Customer relationship management product added to lineup

  5. RenamedFeb 2014

    Renamed to Basecamp

    Company drops other products, focuses solely on Basecamp app

  6. MilestoneSep 2019

    Google Ads dispute

    Fried calls rivals bidding on 'Basecamp' keyword a shakedown

  7. LaunchJun 2020

    HEY email launches

    Premium email service debuts, clashes with Apple App Store

  8. Milestone2021

    Policy dispute, exits

    Internal culture clash over an internal names list, a third of staff leaves

  9. RenamedMay 2022

    Renamed back to 37signals

    Company reverts to original name amid Basecamp and HEY focus

  10. New platform2023

    Leaves AWS cloud

    DHH-led cloud repatriation reported to save over $1 million a year

Founders

  • Jason Fried

    Founder & CEO

    Co-founded 37signals in 1999; author of Rework and Remote

    linkedin.com

  • David Heinemeier Hansson

    CTO & Co-Founder

    Created Ruby on Rails while building the original Basecamp app

  • Carlos Segura

    Co-founder (1999, original design agency)

    Co-founded 37signals as a web design firm in 1999

  • Ernest Kim

    Co-founder (1999, original design agency)

    Co-founded 37signals as a web design firm in 1999

12 sourcesEvery fact above links back to these.
  1. 37signals - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
  2. What's in a Name - REWORK podcast37signals.com
  3. Jason Fried's 37signals Will Focus Entirely on Basecamptech.co
  4. Daring Fireball: 37signals Is Backdaringfireball.net
  5. David Heinemeier Hansson - Crain's Chicago Businesschicagobusiness.com
  6. 37signals on-prem migration to save millions, abandon AWStheregister.com
  7. David Heinemeier Hansson - The Orgtheorg.com
  8. Jason Fried - LinkedInlinkedin.com
  9. RDAP registry record for basecamp.com (pre-gathered evidence)
  10. Basecamp homepagebasecamp.com
  11. Basecamp - Project Management (App Store)apps.apple.com
  12. Basecamp - Where we came frombasecamp.com
Suggest a correction