Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded Oracle in 1977.
The company began as Software Development Laboratories in Santa Clara, California. Its early work was influenced by a research paper about relational database systems written by Edgar F. Codd. The founders saw commercial potential in a database that could organize information using relational principles.
The company released its first commercial relational database product in 1979. It later changed its name to Relational Software Inc. and then to Oracle Systems Corporation before becoming Oracle Corporation.
Oracle is often associated primarily with Ellison because he served as its long-time chief executive and public face. Miner and Oates were also essential co-founders: Miner led major technical development, while Oates contributed to the company’s engineering and product direction.