Kleiner Perkins

Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California, founded in 1972. The firm specializes in investing in early-stage, growth, and incubation companies across a range of industries, including business products, consumer services, financial services, healthcare, information technology, and life sciences. Kleiner Perkins partners with entrepreneurs from the inception of their ideas through to their initial public offerings, aiming to maximize the potential of innovative concepts. The firm has a global investment focus, engaging with founders in the United States, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Mainland China. It is recognized for its strategic support of bold ideas and its commitment to fostering growth in various sectors.

Annie Case

Partner

Nadia Cochinwala

Investor

Josh Coyne

Partner

Joshua Coyne

Partner and Investor

John Doerr

Chairman and Partner

Fushman, Ilya

Partner

Wen Hsieh

Partner

Haomiao Huang

Investor

Alexander Krey

Executive, Digital Growth Fund

Floyd Kvamme

Partner Emeriti

Ray Lane

Partner Emeritus

Christina Lee

Marketing and communications Partner

Jerry Liang

Vice President

Bucky Moore

Partner

Aditya Naganath

Principal

Lucas Oliveira

Investor

Lucas Oliveira

Investor

Ev Randle

Partner

Everett Randle

Partner

Beth Seidenberg

General Partner

James Tang

Vice President, China

Jimmy Wei

Venture Partner, China

Jason Zhao

Partner

Past deals in Peer to Peer

Lit Protocol

Seed Round in 2022
Lit Protocol is a decentralized access control infrastructure designed to bring more utility to the web.

NFTFi

Seed Round in 2021
NFTfi is an NFT collateralized lending marketplace that can use NFT assets as collateral for a loan or lend to other users. It enables NFT holders to borrow cryptocurrency from lenders by using their NFTs as collateral. When they accept a loan offer, the NFT goes into a secure escrow smart contract and receives the wETH, DAI, or USDC from the lender directly to their wallet. To determine whether an NFT is worth a loan, users employ a common practice in the traditional art world in which banks, large galleries, or auction houses offer loans to artists.

Pair Team

Seed Round in 2020
Pair Team focuses on enhancing primary care infrastructure for vulnerable communities, particularly those served by safety-net systems, Medicaid, and Medicare patients. As a tech-enabled care team, it extends the capabilities of clinical staff by offering personalized, high-touch care experiences. The organization addresses various barriers to healthcare, including transportation issues, housing and food insecurity, and limited mobile access. Pair Team employs a dedicated care team consisting of community health workers, registered nurses, and behavioral health clinicians to deliver comprehensive support tailored to the needs of low-income individuals. Additionally, the company is developing a care delivery platform designed to implement clinical best practices, integrate services with community-based organizations, and streamline administrative tasks, allowing clinicians to dedicate more time to patient care.

Veem

Venture Round in 2020
Veem is a payment service provider that helps simplify the way businesses send and receive funds. It offers a platform that enables small businesses to send and receive payments in local currency. Using blockchain as a payment rail, the company eliminates the need for intermediary banks, reducing costs for small- and medium-sized businesses. It converts the sender’s funds into bitcoin, selling the digital currency at an exchange for the desired currency of the recipient. Aldo Carrascoso and Marwan Forzley co-founded the company in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Toss

Series G in 2020
Toss is a South Korean mobile financial service platform operated by the fintech startup Viva Republica, founded in 2011 by Seunggun Lee in Seoul. The application provides a range of financial services, including peer-to-peer money transfers, credit score management, bank account oversight, and access to loans and insurance plans. Additionally, Toss offers features such as bill-splitting and QR payment options, all designed to facilitate hassle-free financial management for its users.

Proxy

Series B in 2020
Proxy designs and builds privacy-first, human-led identity technologies. Proxy provides a smartphone-enabled digital identity that enables the user to authenticate and interact with all devices. Products include Proxy ID, Proxy Health, and Proxy Access in addition to a suite of next generation hardware that enable credentialed access to be secure, private, and contactless. Proxy is on a mission to empower every person on the planet with a unique identity signal they own and control. The signal, emitted from a smartphone, allows people to securely authenticate to any device or service, similar to a universal single-sign-on for the physical world. Today, large enterprises like Vornado, Cloudflare and the Empire State Realty Trust enable their employees, contractors, visitors, and tenants to use their Proxy for frictionless access through secured doors, elevators, and turnstiles, and to create personalized experiences throughout the workplace. With Proxy, users own their identity and have complete control over their privacy and personal data. Proxy has been named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2020, Forbes' The Next Billion Dollar Start-up, and CNBC's Upstart 100 list in 2019. Denis Mars is the CEO of Proxy, which he co-founded with CTO Simon Ratner. Mars and Ratner believe that technology should empower humans, rather than make humans beholden to it. They believe that technology should be used to make our everyday experiences in the physical world frictionless. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Pair Team

Seed Round in 2019
Pair Team focuses on enhancing primary care infrastructure for vulnerable communities, particularly those served by safety-net systems, Medicaid, and Medicare patients. As a tech-enabled care team, it extends the capabilities of clinical staff by offering personalized, high-touch care experiences. The organization addresses various barriers to healthcare, including transportation issues, housing and food insecurity, and limited mobile access. Pair Team employs a dedicated care team consisting of community health workers, registered nurses, and behavioral health clinicians to deliver comprehensive support tailored to the needs of low-income individuals. Additionally, the company is developing a care delivery platform designed to implement clinical best practices, integrate services with community-based organizations, and streamline administrative tasks, allowing clinicians to dedicate more time to patient care.

Toss

Series F in 2019
Toss is a South Korean mobile financial service platform operated by the fintech startup Viva Republica, founded in 2011 by Seunggun Lee in Seoul. The application provides a range of financial services, including peer-to-peer money transfers, credit score management, bank account oversight, and access to loans and insurance plans. Additionally, Toss offers features such as bill-splitting and QR payment options, all designed to facilitate hassle-free financial management for its users.

BUMP

Series A in 2019
BUMP is a social peer-to-peer marketplace for authentic streetwear and sneakers. Shopping has always been a social activity for older generations used to go to the mall sharing recommendations, opinions, and just generally having fun with friends. Online shopping killed this and they're bringing it back for Gen Z. On BUMP users can build up their public profiles, follow & message anyone on the platform, and even create & share their own group chats. This social experience means kids can hang out, build their online identity which in turn drives transactions. Founded in 2016 and based in London, They're already backed by leading names in venture capital including Kleiner Perkins, e.ventures, and Y Combinator.

Proxy

Series A in 2019
Proxy designs and builds privacy-first, human-led identity technologies. Proxy provides a smartphone-enabled digital identity that enables the user to authenticate and interact with all devices. Products include Proxy ID, Proxy Health, and Proxy Access in addition to a suite of next generation hardware that enable credentialed access to be secure, private, and contactless. Proxy is on a mission to empower every person on the planet with a unique identity signal they own and control. The signal, emitted from a smartphone, allows people to securely authenticate to any device or service, similar to a universal single-sign-on for the physical world. Today, large enterprises like Vornado, Cloudflare and the Empire State Realty Trust enable their employees, contractors, visitors, and tenants to use their Proxy for frictionless access through secured doors, elevators, and turnstiles, and to create personalized experiences throughout the workplace. With Proxy, users own their identity and have complete control over their privacy and personal data. Proxy has been named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2020, Forbes' The Next Billion Dollar Start-up, and CNBC's Upstart 100 list in 2019. Denis Mars is the CEO of Proxy, which he co-founded with CTO Simon Ratner. Mars and Ratner believe that technology should empower humans, rather than make humans beholden to it. They believe that technology should be used to make our everyday experiences in the physical world frictionless. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Toss

Series E in 2018
Toss is a South Korean mobile financial service platform operated by the fintech startup Viva Republica, founded in 2011 by Seunggun Lee in Seoul. The application provides a range of financial services, including peer-to-peer money transfers, credit score management, bank account oversight, and access to loans and insurance plans. Additionally, Toss offers features such as bill-splitting and QR payment options, all designed to facilitate hassle-free financial management for its users.

Veem

Corporate Round in 2018
Veem is a payment service provider that helps simplify the way businesses send and receive funds. It offers a platform that enables small businesses to send and receive payments in local currency. Using blockchain as a payment rail, the company eliminates the need for intermediary banks, reducing costs for small- and medium-sized businesses. It converts the sender’s funds into bitcoin, selling the digital currency at an exchange for the desired currency of the recipient. Aldo Carrascoso and Marwan Forzley co-founded the company in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Persona

Venture Round in 2018
Persona is a company that specializes in identity verification systems designed to enhance online security and trust. The platform provides businesses with a comprehensive suite of automated identity verification components that are configurable and customizable for various use cases, including age verification, fraud prevention, and account recovery. By facilitating the collection, verification, and management of sensitive personal information, Persona allows organizations to streamline customer identity verification processes, ensuring a secure online experience. This approach not only protects against identity theft and fraud but also helps businesses foster safer interactions with their customers.

BUMP

Pre Seed Round in 2018
BUMP is a social peer-to-peer marketplace for authentic streetwear and sneakers. Shopping has always been a social activity for older generations used to go to the mall sharing recommendations, opinions, and just generally having fun with friends. Online shopping killed this and they're bringing it back for Gen Z. On BUMP users can build up their public profiles, follow & message anyone on the platform, and even create & share their own group chats. This social experience means kids can hang out, build their online identity which in turn drives transactions. Founded in 2016 and based in London, They're already backed by leading names in venture capital including Kleiner Perkins, e.ventures, and Y Combinator.

Turo

Series D in 2017
Turo operates a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace that allows travelers to rent vehicles from local hosts. The platform connects car owners with renters, facilitating a diverse selection of cars at competitive prices. This model enables owners to earn income while providing convenient access to vehicles for travelers in their communities.

Tribe

Seed Round in 2017
Tribe is a live multiplayer gaming platform. Tribe offers users a way to instantly hang live with up to 8 of friends at once. Founded in 2015, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Veem

Series B in 2017
Veem is a payment service provider that helps simplify the way businesses send and receive funds. It offers a platform that enables small businesses to send and receive payments in local currency. Using blockchain as a payment rail, the company eliminates the need for intermediary banks, reducing costs for small- and medium-sized businesses. It converts the sender’s funds into bitcoin, selling the digital currency at an exchange for the desired currency of the recipient. Aldo Carrascoso and Marwan Forzley co-founded the company in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Peek

Series A in 2016
Peek Travel, Inc. is a travel activities marketplace based in San Francisco, California, specializing in tour operator software that facilitates the discovery and booking of tours and activities across the United States. Founded in 2011, Peek offers a platform that connects customers with a curated selection of experiences, allowing users to easily book activities online. The company empowers operators by providing them with tools to manage and grow their businesses effectively. Peek's website and mobile app serve as marketing channels, generating new customer interest by making thousands of activities accessible and bookable anytime, anywhere. Through its technology, Peek aims to create lasting memories for travelers by connecting them with everyday adventures.

Veem

Series A in 2015
Veem is a payment service provider that helps simplify the way businesses send and receive funds. It offers a platform that enables small businesses to send and receive payments in local currency. Using blockchain as a payment rail, the company eliminates the need for intermediary banks, reducing costs for small- and medium-sized businesses. It converts the sender’s funds into bitcoin, selling the digital currency at an exchange for the desired currency of the recipient. Aldo Carrascoso and Marwan Forzley co-founded the company in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Turo

Series C in 2015
Turo operates a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace that allows travelers to rent vehicles from local hosts. The platform connects car owners with renters, facilitating a diverse selection of cars at competitive prices. This model enables owners to earn income while providing convenient access to vehicles for travelers in their communities.

PernixData

Series C in 2014
PernixData is fundamentally changing how storage is designed and operated in virtual data centers. The company’s flagship product, PernixData FVP software, virtualizes server side flash and RAM to enable scale-out storage performance that is independent of capacity. No changes are required to VMs, servers or primary storage, ensuring maximum performance of all virtualized applications in a seamless, scalable and cost- effective manner. Based in San Jose, California, PernixData was founded by Poojan Kumar, a co-founder of Oracle Exadata, and Satyam Vaghani, VMware’s Storage CTO, creator of VMware's clustered file system (VMFS), and architect of several storage-related innovations at VMware over the last decade. PernixData is backed by Lightspeed Ventures, Kleiner Perkins and industry luminaries from enterprise software.

Plex

Series B in 2014
Plex is a globally available one-stop-shop streaming media service offering thousands of free movies and TV shows and hundreds of free-to-stream live TV channels from the biggest names in entertainment, including Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, Sinclair Broadcast Group, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and BBC. Backed by Intercap and Kleiner Perkins, Plex is the only streaming service that lets users manage their media alongside a continuously growing library of free third-party entertainment spanning all genres, interests, and mediums including podcasts, music, and more. With a highly customizable interface and smart recommendations based on the media you enjoy, Plex brings its users the best media experience on the planet from any device, anywhere.

Path

Series C in 2014
Path is a mobile photo-sharing and messaging service designed to foster personal social networks with a limit of up to 150 contacts. The platform allows users to capture and share significant life moments with close friends and family, emphasizing simplicity, quality, and privacy. Path enables group messaging and facilitates the importation of photos and graphics to various social networks. The company aims to enhance personal connections through its user-friendly interface and features, reflecting the belief that mobile technology can transform social interactions.

PernixData

Series B in 2013
PernixData is fundamentally changing how storage is designed and operated in virtual data centers. The company’s flagship product, PernixData FVP software, virtualizes server side flash and RAM to enable scale-out storage performance that is independent of capacity. No changes are required to VMs, servers or primary storage, ensuring maximum performance of all virtualized applications in a seamless, scalable and cost- effective manner. Based in San Jose, California, PernixData was founded by Poojan Kumar, a co-founder of Oracle Exadata, and Satyam Vaghani, VMware’s Storage CTO, creator of VMware's clustered file system (VMFS), and architect of several storage-related innovations at VMware over the last decade. PernixData is backed by Lightspeed Ventures, Kleiner Perkins and industry luminaries from enterprise software.

Upstart

Seed Round in 2012
Upstart is a lending platform that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to price credit and automates the borrowing process. The company's proprietary underwriting model identifies borrowers despite limited credit and employment history by using variables including schools attended, area of study, and work experience. Upstart powered banks can offer higher approval rates and experience lower loss rates*, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. Upstart was founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Mateo, California and Columbus, Ohio.

Airtime

Series B in 2012
Airtime is a social platform designed to foster genuine online interactions and create a welcoming environment for users. Founded by Sean Parker, the company aims to reverse the trend of social media's isolating effects by providing a space where individuals can connect over shared interests, from music to art to comedy. Users can join live, open rooms tailored to various topics, encouraging spontaneous and engaging conversations. With a dedicated team of over 100 employees and support from leading investors, Airtime is committed to enhancing the social experience online, making it a truly interactive and inclusive space for its community.

Path

Series B in 2012
Path is a mobile photo-sharing and messaging service designed to foster personal social networks with a limit of up to 150 contacts. The platform allows users to capture and share significant life moments with close friends and family, emphasizing simplicity, quality, and privacy. Path enables group messaging and facilitates the importation of photos and graphics to various social networks. The company aims to enhance personal connections through its user-friendly interface and features, reflecting the belief that mobile technology can transform social interactions.

Pinger

Venture Round in 2012
Pinger, Inc. is a mobile application developer based in San Jose, California, founded in 2005. The company specializes in communication services, offering products such as Sideline and Textfree, which facilitate free texting and calling. Pinger's applications support various features including voicemail, text messaging, and picture messaging, catering to a global audience of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android users. With a focus on innovation, Pinger aims to enhance consumer communication experiences, making a significant impact on users' lives. The company is backed by notable investors and has a strong management team guiding its growth in the competitive mobile communications landscape.

Path

Series A in 2011
Path is a mobile photo-sharing and messaging service designed to foster personal social networks with a limit of up to 150 contacts. The platform allows users to capture and share significant life moments with close friends and family, emphasizing simplicity, quality, and privacy. Path enables group messaging and facilitates the importation of photos and graphics to various social networks. The company aims to enhance personal connections through its user-friendly interface and features, reflecting the belief that mobile technology can transform social interactions.

PiCloud

Seed Round in 2010
PiCloud is a leading provider of batch processing, high performance computing and scientific computing solutions. PiCloud has attracted thousands of developers worldwide with its elastic, easy to use, and lock-in free cloud computing platform. With PiCloud, users can instantly leverage the compute power of Amazon Web Services without having to manage, maintain, or configure virtual servers. By obviating server management, PiCloud enables rapid development and deployment of cloud technologies.

PayMate

Series B in 2008
PayMate is a leader in B2B payments for Enterprise and SME across supply chains. The PayMate platform provides a comprehensive digital workflow tied to payments which enable greater control and transparency along with better cash flows and an end to end reconciliation for a superior experience for Enterprise and SME in closed-loop supply chains. PayMate works with leading Visa commercial card-issuing banks to facilitate credit for both payables and receivables across supply chains moving traditional cash, cheque and EFT to card streams with several built-in risk-mitigating benefits for banks and extended days payables for buyers. Platform features include Procure to Pay automation, credit evaluation, discount marketplace along with APIs for integration into existing accounts/ERP for minimal friction-based deployment. It is cloud-based and accessible across all form factors. PayMate has a presence in South Asia (India) and UAE and is actively expanding across CEMEA.

Paymate

Series B in 2008
Paymate provides secure, Internet-based payment services to buyers in 57 countries around the world and sellers in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. You can use Paymate to receive online payments via credit card. You do NOT need to have a merchant facility with a bank nor a secure website nor gateway processor service. You can also use Paymate to make secure payments to any registered Paymate client, without divulging your personal or financial details to them. You can use a credit card to make a payment from any of 57 countries, in Australian Dollars, New Zealand Dollars, US Dollars or other currencies. Registration with Paymate to make an Express Payment via credit card is not necessary. Paymate Pty Ltd is a privately-held company incorporated in New South Wales, Australia and headquartered in Sydney. We were established in July 2000 and provide information, risk and financial management services tailored for global e-commerce. Paymate Global Inc. is a US company registered in the State of Delaware.

Pinger

Series B in 2006
Pinger, Inc. is a mobile application developer based in San Jose, California, founded in 2005. The company specializes in communication services, offering products such as Sideline and Textfree, which facilitate free texting and calling. Pinger's applications support various features including voicemail, text messaging, and picture messaging, catering to a global audience of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android users. With a focus on innovation, Pinger aims to enhance consumer communication experiences, making a significant impact on users' lives. The company is backed by notable investors and has a strong management team guiding its growth in the competitive mobile communications landscape.

PeakStream

Series B in 2006
PeakStream, Inc. provides software application platform for the high performance computing market. It offers Platform, a software application platform that enables users to program multi-core and parallel processors, and convert them into computing engines for computationally intense applications. The company also provides Workstation, which allows software developers to program processors, such as multi-core CPUs and graphics processor units directly on their desktops; and API that enables software developers and engineers to run HPC applications on x86 systems equipped with processors. In addition, PeakStream offers technical support, training, and educational services. It serves markets, such as oil/gas, financial services, defense, and research. The company was formerly known as Shakti Systems, Inc. PeakStream, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California. As of June 5, 2007, PeakStream, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Google Inc.

Paymate

Series A in 2006
Paymate provides secure, Internet-based payment services to buyers in 57 countries around the world and sellers in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. You can use Paymate to receive online payments via credit card. You do NOT need to have a merchant facility with a bank nor a secure website nor gateway processor service. You can also use Paymate to make secure payments to any registered Paymate client, without divulging your personal or financial details to them. You can use a credit card to make a payment from any of 57 countries, in Australian Dollars, New Zealand Dollars, US Dollars or other currencies. Registration with Paymate to make an Express Payment via credit card is not necessary. Paymate Pty Ltd is a privately-held company incorporated in New South Wales, Australia and headquartered in Sydney. We were established in July 2000 and provide information, risk and financial management services tailored for global e-commerce. Paymate Global Inc. is a US company registered in the State of Delaware.

PayMate

Series A in 2006
PayMate is a leader in B2B payments for Enterprise and SME across supply chains. The PayMate platform provides a comprehensive digital workflow tied to payments which enable greater control and transparency along with better cash flows and an end to end reconciliation for a superior experience for Enterprise and SME in closed-loop supply chains. PayMate works with leading Visa commercial card-issuing banks to facilitate credit for both payables and receivables across supply chains moving traditional cash, cheque and EFT to card streams with several built-in risk-mitigating benefits for banks and extended days payables for buyers. Platform features include Procure to Pay automation, credit evaluation, discount marketplace along with APIs for integration into existing accounts/ERP for minimal friction-based deployment. It is cloud-based and accessible across all form factors. PayMate has a presence in South Asia (India) and UAE and is actively expanding across CEMEA.

Visible Path

Series B in 2006
Nipping at the heels of competitor [LinkedIn](http://crunchbase.com/organization/linkedin), Visible Path is a new incarnation of business social networking. Visible Path entered the market with a different way of organizing and displaying your business contacts. Instead of showing all of your extended contacts to all the contacts in your network like LinkedIn, Visible Path focuses more on strength of relationship between contacts to determine who can add who to their contact list. This effort precludes "contact farmers" from adding you simply for the sake of adding someone. In a smaller circle of contacts, your relationships are more meaningful and cannot be as easily diluted. In order to create this more discriminatory contact circle Visible Path collects information about all your contacts through a 6mb Microsoft Outlook plugin which tracks who you've sent emails to or have meetings with. The more often you are in contact with someone through Outlook, the stronger the relationship and vice versa. People outside of Outlook can also be added to Visible Path, but must be done so by searching for them specifically. Since contacts are generally all made through Outlook, the business relationships you make are very real. Because Visible Path users do not have the option of seeing your extended network, a much higher percentage of your business contacts will actually be people you have conversed with. At its current state, Visible Path's Outlook plugin is prone to simply making all your office contacts your strongest. User's may email or have meetings with people in their office more consistently than they do with very important contacts who work for other companies or in different locations. In these cases Visible Path would incorrectly recognize the importance of your relationships. It's a fallacy that more contact with someone means you have a stronger relationship with them. Visible Path is currently looking into other methods to track relationship strength. Drawing data from phone calls and IM's is currently on their plate, but some way for the content of conversations needs to be analyzed for Visible Path to work without flaw. Business Networks are very helpful when all your contacts are meaningful. Unfortunately exposure to the web often causes networks to expand rather than become more useful.

Pinger

Series A in 2005
Pinger, Inc. is a mobile application developer based in San Jose, California, founded in 2005. The company specializes in communication services, offering products such as Sideline and Textfree, which facilitate free texting and calling. Pinger's applications support various features including voicemail, text messaging, and picture messaging, catering to a global audience of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android users. With a focus on innovation, Pinger aims to enhance consumer communication experiences, making a significant impact on users' lives. The company is backed by notable investors and has a strong management team guiding its growth in the competitive mobile communications landscape.

PeakStream

Series A in 2005
PeakStream, Inc. provides software application platform for the high performance computing market. It offers Platform, a software application platform that enables users to program multi-core and parallel processors, and convert them into computing engines for computationally intense applications. The company also provides Workstation, which allows software developers to program processors, such as multi-core CPUs and graphics processor units directly on their desktops; and API that enables software developers and engineers to run HPC applications on x86 systems equipped with processors. In addition, PeakStream offers technical support, training, and educational services. It serves markets, such as oil/gas, financial services, defense, and research. The company was formerly known as Shakti Systems, Inc. PeakStream, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California. As of June 5, 2007, PeakStream, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Google Inc.

Visible Path

Series A in 2004
Nipping at the heels of competitor [LinkedIn](http://crunchbase.com/organization/linkedin), Visible Path is a new incarnation of business social networking. Visible Path entered the market with a different way of organizing and displaying your business contacts. Instead of showing all of your extended contacts to all the contacts in your network like LinkedIn, Visible Path focuses more on strength of relationship between contacts to determine who can add who to their contact list. This effort precludes "contact farmers" from adding you simply for the sake of adding someone. In a smaller circle of contacts, your relationships are more meaningful and cannot be as easily diluted. In order to create this more discriminatory contact circle Visible Path collects information about all your contacts through a 6mb Microsoft Outlook plugin which tracks who you've sent emails to or have meetings with. The more often you are in contact with someone through Outlook, the stronger the relationship and vice versa. People outside of Outlook can also be added to Visible Path, but must be done so by searching for them specifically. Since contacts are generally all made through Outlook, the business relationships you make are very real. Because Visible Path users do not have the option of seeing your extended network, a much higher percentage of your business contacts will actually be people you have conversed with. At its current state, Visible Path's Outlook plugin is prone to simply making all your office contacts your strongest. User's may email or have meetings with people in their office more consistently than they do with very important contacts who work for other companies or in different locations. In these cases Visible Path would incorrectly recognize the importance of your relationships. It's a fallacy that more contact with someone means you have a stronger relationship with them. Visible Path is currently looking into other methods to track relationship strength. Drawing data from phone calls and IM's is currently on their plate, but some way for the content of conversations needs to be analyzed for Visible Path to work without flaw. Business Networks are very helpful when all your contacts are meaningful. Unfortunately exposure to the web often causes networks to expand rather than become more useful.
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