Ellison Recounts Oracle Origins to Startup Founders

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison on Oct. 24 hosted the founders of 22 startups for a cocktail reception and engaged with them on topics ranging from how he navigated the difficult early days of the business computing giant he founded in 1977 to navigating the ever-changing technological landscape. In what has become an annual event, Ellison (pictured at left; to see larger view, right-click on the photo and select "View Image") welcomed to his San Francisco home the leaders of startups selected for the Oracle Global Startup Ecosystem, a startup enablement program that gives participants free access to Oracle cloud technology and expert mentoring. What makes the program unique is that it also provides participants access to Oracle customers as well as, in many cases, the opportunity to sell their technology jointly with Oracle sales reps, participants said. Oracle does not take an equity position in the startups it mentors--an unusual aspect of the program.