Silicon Flatirons

A Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado

Commercial Opportunities at the Technological Frontier: Building a Company Around New Internet Technologies

November 7, 2005

The Internet bubble is burst, but there are still exciting commercial opportunities for Internet startup companies. Take, for example, Vonage, which in just its fourth year of existence, captured the leadership position in providing voice over Internet telephone service and received $200 million in its latest round of financing, bringing the total investment in the company to $408 million. Closer to home, Webroot Software, the leading provider of anti-spyware software, just completed a $108 million financing.

The role of start-up companies in the Internet environment is readily understandable. Most of the most successful Internet technologies have emerged from outside established companies-ranging from Web-based email (Hotmail) to instant messaging (ICQ) to online auctions (Ebay) to search technology (Google). Once successful, many startups quickly develop relationships with established companies either through strategic partnerships or mergers. Unfortunately, the road from understanding technological possibility to commercial success, as many dot-bombs made painfully clear, is often difficult.

This conference will explore the technological dynamics of how the Internet is enabling a new class of services to take root. In particular, what some are calling "Internet-enabled services" promises an array of information products and communication services that will transform our economy and society. Increasingly, consumers will use the Internet for delivering information without even necessarily realizing that they are accessing the Internet. The technologies and products that will make an Internet-centric environment part of our daily lives are just being built and, in many cases, start-up companies like Vonage and Webroot Software are taking the lead. In addition to discussing the emerging technological environment and business opportunities, we will evaluate how startups need to position themselves, protect against legal and business risks, and relate to established companies.