"Datamonitor Inc., a New York research firm estimates that revenue from self-organizing knowledge-sharing sites could rise to $ 6.77 billion by 2005 from an estimated $ 108 million in 2000." -The Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2000.

The Company

KnowledgeFilter Inc. ("the Company") was incorporated as a California C Corporation in July 1999. The Company has developed a proprietary knowledge-sharing platform that provides Internet businesses with a new set of tools for building loyal on-line communities while automatically generating valuable Website content.

KnowledgeFilter, Inc. is an infrastructure provider that enables Internet companies to build community, create, manage and distribute low-cost and increasingly valuable content on the Web. KnowledgeCenterSoftware transforms peer to peer content into potent viral marketing and community building opportunities for Web companies. Licensed sites build community via peer generated, self-organizing content, and engage in effective targeted marketing based on the specific known interests of site visitors who interact through KnowledgeCenter Software.

The Company's mission is to introduce and establish its unique self-organizing user-generated content engine as THE standard Internet knowledge-sharing platform.

KnowledgeFilter Inc. will derive revenue from:

• Licensing and customization of the software
• Licensing of the core technology to third party infrastructure providers 
• Sale of advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships 
• E-commerce partnerships
• Specialized software applications based on the company's core technology

KnowledgeFilter, Inc.'s self-organizing, collaborative information sharing and knowledge filtering software offers a powerful new tool for accessing Web based information.

With the exponential increase in information available on the Web, and the increasing concerns over the reliability of much of the information, traditional search engines and online threaded discussion forums have reached the limits of their usefulness. Collaborative knowledge filtering allows users to benefit from the combined knowledge and experience of large groups of people with interest and experience in any topic.

The filtering functions allow users to "separate the wheat from the chaff" in collaboratively generated knowledge bases. The software allows users to custom sort information and opinions in ways that are ideally suited to their own personal needs. It also allows users to contribute and view comments and corroborating links supporting both sides of controversial issues.

KnowledgeFilter Inc.'s patent-pending KnowledgeCenter Software provides e-commerce Web sites with a powerful set of tools for building loyal online communities while automatically generating valuable Website content at minimal cost. The Software is used to create customized consumer knowledge-sharing forums, with easy and convenient access to topic specific information from a variety of sources. This information can be self-tailored to individual consumer needs and interests. Online information is enhanced by access to collective consumer experience via posted comments and opinions. Content that is generated by Web site staff or subject "experts" can be separately tracked and sorted by individual forum users. KnowledgeCenter forums provide targeted marketing opportunities when users access and sort content. Forums can be linked directly to online catalogs. Forums generate repeat Website traffic while giving consumers access to the relevant information they increasingly demand.

Knowledge is power and companies that implement knowledge-sharing technology provide their online customers with distinct consumer advantages. Advantages that increase sales, generate low-cost content, provide valuable customer insight with targeted marketing opportunities, while helping to ensure customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive e-commerce environment.

Revenue Model

KnowledgeCenterë Software transforms peer-generated content into potent  targeted marketing opportunities for Web companies. KnowledgeCenterë forums generate repeat Website traffic while giving consumers quick access to the relevant and reliable information they increasingly demand. The software is designed to attract demographically focused "sticky" traffic to virtually any Web site. KnowledgeFilter Inc. will derive revenue from:

• Licensing and customization of the software
•  Licensing of the core software to third party infrastructure providers
•  Sale of advertisements, promotions, sponsorships & E-commerce partnerships
•  Specialized software applications based on the companyís core technology
• A central KnowledgeCenter.com portal site will provide links to licensee sites and additional advertising and marketing opportunities. 

Barriers to Entry

KFIís technology has been in development since 1995 and a provisional patent application was filed in October of 1999.  Additional US and international patent filings are in process and indications are that one or more defensible patents will be issued by the USPTO.  A number of key potential alliance partners have signed non-circumvention agreements and have expressed interest in KFIís proprietary software design.
 

Market Strategy

KnowledgeCenter Software is a peer-to-peer application that targets the B2B marketplace. The Software will be marketed directly to Web sites interested in creating knowledge sharing forums.

The Company will also provide core software to firms that specialize in Internet infrastructure construction, creating and maintaining commercial Web sites, where the self-organizing, content generating software will become an integral part of their service packages. These firms will market the software to individual Web sites.

A direct sales staff will be devoted to marketing KnowledgeCenter Software, related services and advertising to Web sites. The Company will explore and develop relationships with online advertising firms to offer software clients a turnkey option of exploiting the targeted marketing opportunities KnowledgeCenter Software presents.
 

Technology

KnowledgeFilter, Inc.'s self-organizing, knowledge-concentrating software works like a large-scale, peer to peer "word-of-mouth" process, allowing users to compare notes with hundreds or thousands of people in order to find out what might be "true" or effective in virtually any area of human knowledge or experience. The software can be used to collaboratively generate new knowledge in specialized fields as well as to combine, organize and access existing bodies of knowledge or opinion.

KnowledgeFilter, Inc.'s patent-pending technology has three key components:

First, it allows users to contribute information, opinions and comments on postings contributed by others and to suggest or create new topic sub-divisions. A peer to peer knowledge transfer.

Second, it tracks how others respond, rate and comment on contributions.

Third, it sorts the postings according to user feedback, allowing custom sorting of postings by any combination of criteria such as value, effectiveness, popularity or consistency with information from other sources. It also allows the information to be sorted by source or by contributor ranking. Sources as well as content can be collaboratively rated.

The Company has developed a simple and intuitive "Knowledge Navigation Console" format that is positioned to become the de facto standard for future knowledge-sharing communities and applications. 

Management Team

Board of Directors:
Billy White- Director, Chairman
Former Netscape Director for Telecommunications Markets
David Coleman- Director, KM & GroupWare Advisor
Founder of Collaborative Strategies, GroupWare expert, author of GroupWare books.
Ron Pernick -Advisor
Principal of Web Strategies, Inc.; The Well, Preview Travel
Chris Mentzel- Director, VP, Secretary
Founder of Speedlane Inc., Privatizer, Lasec
Dean LaCoe- Director
Vice President of Marketing for Motion Analysis
Bill Atkinson -Technical Advisor (advisory board)
Principal Apple Computer Developer (Lisa & Macintosh); developer of HyperCard, Quickdraw, MacPaint; founding general partner of General Magic-MagicLink

Management Team:
Michael Heumann - Founder, President, Director
Founder, Videosource.com, Sonoma Video Production, and Special Interest Video; interactive education specialist
Keith Cooley CTO, VP, Product Development
Software Developer - Founder, Coolware, Palo Alto Ca.
Bill Mitchell- CFO, Investor Relations 
VP, CFO, Hammon, Jensen, Wallen & Assoc. CFO, Wahler Assoc.
Carol Snider- UI Design, QA Testing, Alliance Liaison
Educational Software Designer, Disney, Humongous
Miles Kurland- Webmaster, Graphic Designer
Owner, Kurland Digital

Legal Representation:
White & Lee LLP, Palo Alto Corporate Law & Finance 
Sawyer Law Group, Palo Alto Intellectual Property
 
 

Financial Summary

The Company is seeking $ 1 million in interim financing to expand the Management Team, for software improvements, marketing, strategic alliances and for general operating costs.