yet2.com
yet2.com is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at yet2.com.
yet2.com is a company.
Key people at yet2.com.
yet2.com is a global open innovation consulting company and technology marketplace that matches large corporations with startups, inventors, academic institutions, and smaller firms to buy, sell, or license technologies, particularly intellectual property (IP).[1][2][3] Originally launched as an online marketplace in 1999, it has evolved into a provider of strategic consulting services like technology scouting, deal facilitation, and open innovation training, serving Fortune 500 clients such as Boeing, Ford, Monsanto, and NTT.[1][3][5] The company helps clients maximize IP value by identifying unrealized opportunities, filling portfolio gaps, and integrating external innovation into business strategies across sectors including biotechnology, energy, consumer goods, AI, and manufacturing.[3][5]
yet2.com was founded in February 1999 by Ben duPont and Chris De Bleser, both facing challenges monetizing their own inventions—duPont with a new technology and De Bleser at Polaroid.[1] Starting as a pure online marketplace for patents and technologies, it quickly grew into the largest global market of its kind and pivoted to include consulting and offline projects to better serve clients.[1][3] Backed by over $24–40 million from investors like Venrock Capital, Procter & Gamble, DuPont, Honeywell, and Siemens, the company expanded services while separating its venture arm (yet2Ventures) into Chartline Capital Partners in 2016.[1][2] Headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts (with some records noting Needham, MA), it has maintained a focus on global technology transfer.[2][5]
yet2.com rides the open innovation trend, where corporations increasingly source technologies externally from startups, academia, and inventors to accelerate R&D amid rising costs and complexity.[1][3] Its timing aligns with the growth of IP marketplaces post-dot-com era and the post-2010 emphasis on collaborative innovation, helping firms like Boeing and NTT bridge internal gaps with global solutions in high-stakes areas like sustainability, AI, and biotech.[1][3] Market forces favoring it include the explosion of underutilized patents (often 75% of company value) and platforms enabling IP monetization during economic shifts, as noted in discussions of frugal economies and resilience.[2][5] By influencing tech scouting practices, yet2.com shapes the ecosystem, promoting efficient knowledge flows that boost startup visibility and corporate agility.[1][4]
yet2.com's acquisition status signals maturity, positioning it to deepen AI-driven scouting and sustainability-focused deals amid trends like bio-based materials, clean energy, and digital health.[2][3] Expect expansion in long-term strategy services to counter emerging threats like supply chain disruptions, with its consulting model gaining traction as firms prioritize external partnerships over siloed R&D. Its influence could grow by powering more cross-sector collaborations, solidifying its role as a key enabler in the global innovation marketplace that began as a simple tech broker in 1999.[1][3]
Key people at yet2.com.
