October 22nd, 2008
Bill Gates founds a new tech company
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has founded a new company (some time in between sleeping and working countless hours for the Gates Foundation and a day a week for Microsoft).
Todd Bishop — the former Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter now at the Puget Sound Business Journal’s newly launched TechFlash site — has unearthed new information about Gates’ latest startup. The company, known as bgC3 LLC is a “think tank” based in Kirkland, Wash., Bishop reports. While insiders describe the firm as a kind of holding company, it seems like Gates has bigger goals. Bishop notes:
“Federal trademark filings provide more clues – describing bgC3 as a think tank, under a generic trademark classification that corresponds broadly to areas including “scientific and technological services,” ‘industrial analysis and research,’ and ‘design and development of computer hardware and software.’”
Whenever I hear “think tank,” I can’t help but think about former Softie Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures — a company many describe as a “patent trolling” organization. Hopefully Microsoft’s chairman won’t be going down that rabbit hole with bgC3.
Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 20 years. Don't miss a single post. Subscribe via Email or
RSS. You can also follow Mary Jo on Twitter.
Got a tip? Send Mary Jo your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. For disclosure on Mary Jo's industry affiliations, click here or to see Mary Jo's full profile click here.
