3 ms·

Investors didn't help Microsoft (because Microsoft didn't have any) but from what I've heard they did help Google and Facebook.

• seiji 16y ago
  At Startup School 2010, didn't Ron tell a story about helping young facebook set up a partnership/press event with Apple they couldn't snag on their own?
• bloodcarter 16y ago
  Sure they did, Paul. But were they vital? That's the question.
  • netcan 16y ago
    That's possibly a misleading question when you're talking about odds. Say you play a game with odds at 20% and something raises your odds to 25%. You win. Was that thing vital?
• deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
• rexreed 16y ago
  Microsoft did have one early venture capital investor: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/David_Marquardt https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/David_Marquar.... They had VC investment since 1981, which was a full five years before they went public. Here's some video on the subject: http://msstudios.wmod.llnwd.net/a2294/o21/presspass/BillG/Marquardt-Investment_MBR.wmv%C2%A0 http://msstudios.wmod.llnwd.net/a2294/o21/presspass/BillG/Ma...
  • staunch 16y ago
    "Starting in November 1980, David F. Marquardt of Technology Venture Investors had discussions with Microsoft regarding a plan to change the partnership into a corporation. This resulted in Microsoft becoming Microsoft, Inc., in June 1981. The ownership and percentage of shares was divided between the principals as follows: Bill Gates 53, Paul Allen 31, Steve Ballmer 8 and Vern Raburn 4. Then in September, Technology Venture Investors purchased 5 percent of the company for $1,000,000." A history of the personal computer: the people and the technology By Roy A. Allan http://books.google.com/books?id=FLabRYnGrOcC&lpg=RA1-PA23&ots=H47U-WwcVP&pg=RA1-PA23 http://books.google.com/books?id=FLabRYnGrOcC&lpg=RA1-PA...
  • pg 16y ago
    Yeah, I knew about August, but that sort of late stage investment is not what the thread was about.