IgniteTech Launches Next Phase for Khoros, Centered on AI and Customer Leadership

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Company accelerates AI roadmap, brings in community experts, and reinforces commitment to customers following Khoros acquisition

AUSTIN, Texas, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IgniteTech, the AI-first enterprise software company, today announced a series of strategic investments and customer-focused initiatives to advance the Khoros platform. The announcement marks the next phase of growth following IgniteTech's acquisition of Khoros in May 2025.

"With the acquisition of Khoros, we're not just investing in the product, we're rebuilding it," said Eric Vaughan, CEO of IgniteTech and Khoros. "We're partnering with customers, bringing in experts, and applying the same operating discipline we've used to successfully transform dozens of enterprise software companies. Our focus is on delivering AI-powered value at scale by leveraging what made the Khoros Community solution a leader in the first place."

IgniteTech is accelerating the rollout of new AI features across the Khoros platform and reaffirming its commitment to customer collaboration, community-led innovation, and product modernization. All future innovation will be built on Aurora, Khoros' modern platform architecture, which is optimized for AI integration and scalable customer engagement.

As part of this strategy, IgniteTech is expanding its engagement with Khoros customers and the global community ecosystem. Michael Puhala, who continues in his role as Chief Community Evangelist at Khoros, will lead customer conversations and act as a strategic liaison to the company's global network of community professionals.

"Khoros has a strong heritage, and I'm excited to see IgniteTech building on that with urgency and clarity," said Puhala. "This is a real opportunity to bring community leadership into the AI era, and to make sure customers have a voice in shaping what comes next."

To further strengthen its focus on community engagement, IgniteTech is collaborating with Jake McKee, a globally recognized community strategist known for his work with brands including LEGO, Apple, and EA Games. McKee joins as a strategic advisor, helping to align Khoros' community strengths with IgniteTech's product vision and operational discipline.

"IgniteTech's approach to Khoros puts people and customers at the center," said McKee. "This is about combining the best of Khoros' legacy with the clarity, focus, and AI capabilities needed to lead the next era of community."

IgniteTech also announced its sponsorship of the Community-Led World Conference at London Community Week 2025. At the event, Puhala, McKee, and IgniteTech's Chief AI Officer, Thibault Bridel-Bertomeu, met with global community leaders and Khoros customers as part of a focused listening initiative. The team's goal was to better understand the ecosystem IgniteTech now stewards, both the needs of current Khoros users and the broader direction of the global community management space.

IgniteTech is designing the next generation of Khoros to meet the shift from search-driven support to AI-powered community ecosystems. New capabilities will help customers maintain brand presence in AI-generated answers, elevate trusted content from high-contributing users, and guide members from passive consumption to active participation.

Aurora is the future of the platform, and all new innovation will be delivered there. While Classic Community will continue to be supported, IgniteTech is taking a measured approach to migrations, ensuring that customers only move when the platform meets or exceeds their needs

"Khoros is moving forward with a clear plan, a dedicated team, and customers at the center," said Vaughan. "We're not maintaining the old model. We're building what comes next."

About IgniteTech
IgniteTech is a global, AI-first enterprise software company. With a track record of successful company and technology acquisitions with rapid innovation, IgniteTech's solutions power the world's businesses. Since retooling the company in 2024 to become an AI innovation organization, IgniteTech has created two brand new, patent-pending, AI-powered innovations, Eloquens AI and MyPersonas, along with AI capabilities across its entire portfolio of products.

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About Khoros
Khoros' award-winning enterprise software makes it easier for complex brands to engage with customers at scale across all digital, social and brand-owned channels. Whether it is for service and support, communications or sales, the solutions powered by advanced automation and AI unlock more consistent, personalized and helpful omni-channel interactions between brands and their audiences. Khoros serves 2,000 of the world's most reputable companies, including a third of the Fortune 100, and consistently receives recognition as a Best Place to Work. In May 2025, Khoros was acquired by IgniteTech. For more information, please visit https://khoros.com.

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SOURCE Ignite Enterprise Software Solutions, Inc.