Innovative Private Companies Demonstrate Market Traction and Ability to Disrupt Existing Markets 

June 23, 2003

By: AlwaysOn

Palo Alto, California, June 23, 2003 - AlwaysOn, the media company that covers innovation in technology and business, announced today its highly-anticipated AO100 Top Private Companies. AlwaysOn editors compiled the list with assistance from KPMG's emerging business practice, KPMG 1Start. The two groups surveyed more than 1,000 venture investors, investment bankers, top entrepreneurs and executives, who nominated more than 700 companies for the competition. 

The premise of the competition is that consumers and businesses are demanding greater access to the Web for more convenience and productivity, and these demands are beginning to drive the next boom in high technology. 

"Consumers are just beginning to get a glimpse of the power of communicating and accessing content and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they want more," notes AlwaysOn Editor, Tony Perkins. "And if companies do not automate their businesses a la Dell Computer, they will be at a serious competitive disadvantage." 

All innovators in their given technology sectors, each of the AO100 winners demonstrate leadership among their peers in at least two areas: market traction measured by revenue or customer growth and game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players. 

In explaining the selection process, Mr. Perkins notes: "Our survey proves that private company innovation is alive and thriving. We believe that many of the companies funded in the last 12 months will end up being some of the biggest names associated with the Internet. To raise money and win customers in this market, private companies must show that their products and services are an order of magnitude above what currently exists in the marketplace." 

According to Packy Kelly, Partner in charge of KPMG 1Start, "We were surprised to see so many IPO candidates among the AO100 list. Given all the turmoil in the IT sector, we didn't expect to see so many companies with positive revenue and profit growth. Given the recent gains on NASDAQ, this could mean a very respectable IPO calendar for the second half of this year." 

{ NOTE : Pixim was chosen as an AO100 Top Private AlwaysOn Company in the Devices sector .} 

About AlwaysOn 
AlwaysOn (AO) is a media company dedicated to connecting global leaders and technology industry insiders whose ideas and innovations are shaping the always-on world. AO's founding premise is that consumers and businesses are demanding greater access to the Web for more convenience and productivity, and these demands are beginning to drive the next boom in high technology. 

To serve its global membership, the company launched the AlwaysOn Network ( www.alwayson-network.com ) in January of 2003. The AO Network is pioneering a new form of participatory journalism that directly connects industry thought-leaders to their global constituency. The company will be bringing its online community to life on July 15 at AO2003: The Innovation Summit. AO2003 is an annual event held at Stanford Law School at Stanford University where global technology leaders analyze and debate the commercial opportunities surrounding emerging always-on technologies, services, and business strategies.