Marketo, started in 2006 as an email marketing service, was taken private by Vista for $1.8 billion in 2016.: Marketo, started in 2006 as an email marketing service, was taken private by Vista for $1.8 billion in 2016. Adobe Systems Inc on Thursday agreed to buy Marketo Inc for $4.75 billion from private equity firm Vista Equity Partners Management, adding heft to its cloud-based digital marketing business. The U.S. Photoshop maker is sharpening its focus on the fast-growing cloud business, a fiercely competitive market dominated by Microsoft Corp , Oracle Corp and Salesforce .