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In today's Web 2.0 world, e-mail isn't sexy, and neither are databases, but Kevin Merritt, founder and CEO of stealthy software startup Blist, has already made his money on one technology, and is hoping to bank on the other. His latest startup enterprise is an effort to make databases easier to use and more interactive. Merritt describes it as Microsoft Excel with Web 2.0 functionality.

So far, Merritt has funded the startup with $500,000 of his own money to build the product. He anticipates raising a $4 million to $5 million Series A round after the Blist software launches in early 2008. Other companies working in this area include Dabble DB, a Vancouver, British Columbia, startup that's targeting a more professional audience, and Microsoft Corp. [MSFT], which won't stand idly by while others try to take bites out of its markets.

As for his decision to invest out of his own pocket, Merritt says he wanted to hold off on raising capital to focus on building the product.

"When you decide to go out and raise money, it distracts from building the business, so it seemed to be a better use of my time to focus on getting the product out," he says.

Merritt founded MessageRite, a Web-based e-mail archiving software developer and service provider in 2002. He sold MessageRite to FrontBridge Technologies Inc., became vice president of archiving and compliance, and functioned as chief technology officer of the archiving service at FrontBridge. Microsoft acquired FrontBridge in 2005, and Merritt became a software architect and ultimately served as the director of operations.

"FrontBridge was a very good financial outcome for me personally, but we'd call it a double, and so I'm still looking for a grand slam or at least a home run," Merritt says. Blist might be that home run. Then again, it could result in Merritt batting for Microsoft again. - Stacey Higginbotham 

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