San Francisco, CA - June 28, 2005 - AlwaysOn today announced the AO 100 Top Private Companies for 2005. The AlwaysOn editorial panel selected the hundred most innovative and successful private firms from more than 1,000 companies nominated by venture investors, investment bankers, leading entrepreneurs and industry insiders.
Each of the AO 100 winners has demonstrated excellence in five criteria: innovation, market potential, customer adoption, media buzz, and investor value creation. The list consists solely of private companies at all phases of development from start-up to late stage.
“The AO 100 Top Private Companies represent the tech sector’s most innovative, disruptive, and exciting firms,” said AlwaysOn editor, Tony Perkins. “They all share strong performance track records, robust business models, leading technology, rapid customer adoption, and most importantly, significant market potential. These are the companies to watch.”
50 of last year’s AO 100 companies have returned to this year’s top company list. 26 are winners for a third year; 10 of last year’s winners have either gone public, are currently in registration for their IPO, or were acquired during 2004. This year’s AO100 class comes from the following technology sectors: Business software (31), Connectivity (26), Devices (13), Media (14), Web services (10), and Hardware (6). Geographically, the AO100 represents the following regions: Western US, Eastern US, Europe, and Asia.
The AlwaysOn AO 100 Top Private Companies for 2005:
2Wire www.2wire.com
360 Commerce www.360commerce.com
Agitar www.agitar.com
Airgo Networks www.airgonetworks.com
AmberPoint www.amberpoint.com
Anagran www.anagran.com
Application Security www.appsecinc.com
Approva www.approva.net
Arbortext www.arbortext.com
ArcSight www.arcsight.com
Aruba Wireless Networks www.arubanetworks.com
AuctionDrop www.auctiondrop.com
AuthenTec www.authentec.com
Axentis www.axentis.com
BitFone www.bitfone.com
Blazent www.blazent.com
Blue Arc www.bluearc.com
Blue Lithium www.bluelithium.com
Bytemobile www.bytemobile.com
Café Press www.cafepress.com
Cambridge Positioning Systems www.cpslocates.com
Cavium Networks www.cavium.com
CipherTrust www.ciphertrust.com
Colubris www.colubris.com
Crossbow Technology www.xbow.com
Danger www.danger.com
DataSynapse www.datasynapse.com
DBS Communications www.dbsnow.com
DemandTec www.demandtec.com
Digital Chocolate www.digitalchocolate.com
DivX Networks www.divx.com
Dust Networks www.dustnetworks.com
eASIC www.easic.com
eCredit www.ecredit.com
Egenera www.egenera.com
Elemental Security www.elementalsecurity.com
Encover www.encover.com
Endeca www.endeca.com
eSilicon www.esilicon.com
Everbee www.everbee.com
Fios www.fiosinc.com
Force10 www.force10networks.com
Fortinet www.fortinet.com
Frontbridge www.frontbridge.com
GeoTrust www.geotrust.com
Good Technology www.good.com
GraceNote www.gracenote.com
HelloSoft www.hellosoft.com
Ikanos www.ikanos.com
IMLogic www.imlogic.com
Impinj www.impinj.com
Infinera www.infinera.com
Infoblox www.infoblox.com
Ingenio www.ingenio.com
Inxight Software www.inxight.com
IronPort www.ironport.com
Isilon www.isilon.com
Linden Lab www.lindenlab.com
Linkedln www.linkedin.com
Massive Incorporated www.massiveincorporated.com
Matrix Semiconductor www.matrixsemi.com
Mediabolic www.mediabolic.com
Mellanox www.mellanox.com
Melodeo www.melodeo.com
MFORMA www.mforma.com
Mobile 365 www.mobile365.com
MontaVista Software www.mvista.com
MySQL www.mysql.com
Narus www.narus.com
NeoScale www.neoscale.com
Netezza www.netezza.com
NetMotion Wireless www.netmotionwireless.com
NexTag www.nextag.com
Orb Networks www.orb.com
PhoneBites www.phonebites.com
Posit Science www.positscience.com
Pronto Networks www.prontonetworks.com
Quova www.quova.com
Rackspace Managed Hosting www.rackspace.com
Reactivity www.reactrix.com
Reactrix www.reactrix.com
Securify www.securify.com
Seven www.seven.com
Skype www.skype.com
SourceFire www.sourcefire.com
SS8 www.ss8.com
Technorati www.technorati.com
Tellme www.tellme.com
Unicru www.unicru.com
UPEK www.upek.com
Veraz Networks www.veraznetworks.com
Virsa www.virsasystems.com
Visto www.visto.com
Vocera Communications www.vocera.com
Voltage Security www.voltage.com
Vonage www.vonage.com
Whole Security www.wholesecurity.com
Xfire www.xfire.com
Zantaz www.zantaz.com
Zettacore www.zettacore.com
The AO 100 companies will be honored at a VIP reception during the upcoming AO 2005: Innovation Summit at 5.00pm on July 19, 2005 at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on the Stanford University Campus.
The chief executives of many AO 100 companies will also present their business plans at the CEO Pitch sessions during the event.
About AlwaysOn
ALWAYSON is transforming the communication business with its online blogging network, establishing it as a leader in the Open Media revolution. Borrowing from the underground traditions of blogging and social networking, ALWAYSON (http://www.alwayson-network.com/) was launched in 2003. Today, AO’s annual Summit @ Stanford and OnHollywood events, print “blogozine” and online services encourage direct collaboration between global thought leaders and technology insiders. No other media brand has dared allow such openness amongst its readers and participants. ALWAYSON, LLC, is a privately held and virtually headquartered company born out of the heart of Silicon Valley.