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We first met Jim Clark while he was chairman at Silicon Graphics (SGI), a company he founded in 1981. At the time, SGI and Sun Microsystems, a Kleiner Perkins portfolio company, were fierce competitors in the workstation market. Jim was impressed with the young venture capitalist on Sun’s board, John Doerr. He made it clear the next time he founded a company, he wanted John on his team.
In 1994, Jim and a brilliant young engineer by the name of Marc Andreessen formed a new company around an internet browser, Mosaic, developed at the University of Illinois. At the time, most people were unfamiliar with how to use the internet and needed tools to unleash its potential. Mosaic was one of the first graphical browsers that enabled users to easily access information from the internet and view web pages on a computer. Jim and Marc saw an opportunity to popularize the internet by making Mosaic widely available and approached John about the idea. In September of 1994, Kleiner Perkins invested in Mosaic Communications Corporation:a company that would later be renamed Netscape:and John took a seat on the board. In late 1994, Mosaic was redesigned as Netscape Navigator. This browser was the first killer app and widely credited for being the driver of the internet boom of the nineties.
We worked closely with Jim to build out the Netscape team. Mike Homer, with whom Kleiner Perkins had worked at GO Corp. (a former KP portfolio company), was hired to head marketing. Netscape’s vice presidents of engineering came from Oracle and Symantec and a new CEO, Jim Barksdale, was recruited to replace Jim Clark (who became chairman). "Bark, Clark and Mark" changed the world with Netscape. In 1995, the company went public, and the stock’s value soared to $75 during the first day of trading, nearly a record for a first-day gain.
Netscape has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Netscape.
Netscape was founded in 1994 by Jorn Lyseggen (Founder & CEO).
Netscape has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Netscape has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series A in August 1994.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 1994 | $5M Series A | — | Kleiner Perkins | Announced |
Netscape was founded in 1994 by Jorn Lyseggen (Founder & CEO).
Netscape has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Netscape's investors include Kleiner Perkins.
Netscape was a pioneering web browser that played a crucial role in bringing the Internet to the mainstream through its innovative browser technology. Originally launched in December 1994, Netscape Navigator quickly became the dominant browser, capturing over 75% market share by 1996. It introduced key web technologies such as SSL for secure communication, JavaScript, cookies, and on-the-fly page rendering, which significantly enhanced the user experience and helped shape the modern web. Netscape served millions of users worldwide, enabling easier and faster access to the Internet during its peak years. However, it eventually lost dominance to Microsoft Internet Explorer in the late 1990s and was acquired by AOL in 1998, marking a shift in its focus and influence[2][5][9].
Netscape Communications was founded in 1994 by Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark. Andreessen was a key developer of the Mosaic browser at the University of Illinois, which inspired the creation of Netscape Navigator. The idea emerged from the need for a faster, more user-friendly browser that could handle the growing complexity of the web. Netscape Navigator 1.0 was released in December 1994 and was an instant success, quickly becoming the preferred browser for Internet users. Early pivotal moments included the introduction of SSL encryption and JavaScript, which set Netscape apart technologically. The company went public in 1995, fueling rapid growth before facing intense competition from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which eventually overtook Netscape in market share[2][3][5].
Netscape rode the wave of the early Internet boom, capitalizing on the rapid expansion of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s. Its timing was critical, as it launched when the web was still nascent and standards were evolving. Netscape’s innovations helped define web standards and user expectations, pushing the ecosystem forward. The intense "browser wars" with Microsoft shaped the competitive landscape of software distribution and browser development. Although Netscape eventually lost market dominance, its open source legacy and technological contributions laid the groundwork for future browsers and the modern web ecosystem[2][3][5][9].
While Netscape Navigator itself was discontinued in 2008, its impact endures through the Mozilla project and the standards it helped establish. The browser’s story is a foundational chapter in Internet history, illustrating the rapid evolution of technology and market dynamics. Looking forward, the principles Netscape championed—open standards, security, and user-centric design—continue to influence browser development and Internet innovation. For investors and technologists, Netscape’s legacy underscores the importance of early innovation, adaptability, and community engagement in shaping technology ecosystems[3][5].
Key people at Netscape.
