Advanced Technology Ventures Adds David Tennenhouse as Special Limited Partner.

WALTHAM, Mass. and PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1998- Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV), a leading venture capital firm focusing on early stage opportunities in the information technology and health care markets, has announced that Dr. David Tennenhouse, a Senior Research Scientist at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science and a pioneer in the areas of ATM and Active networks, has joined the firm's exclusive team of Special Limited Partners.

As a Special Limited Partner, Tennenhouse joins a world-renowned team of information technology and health care visionaries who offer a wealth of technical and market expertise to ATV and its portfolio companies. With extensive experience and recognition in their respective areas of expertise, ATV's Special Limited Partners work closely with the firm's General Partners and portfolio companies to evaluate product strategies and market opportunities, and provide critical feedback to help guide emerging ventures as they grow their businesses.

"The Special Limited Partners affiliated with our firm all share a common distinction," said ATV General Partner Jos Henkens. "They are recognized as world leaders in their respective fields. As a pioneer in the areas of asynchronous transfer mode and active networking technology, Dr. Tennenhouse is no exception. We are pleased to welcome him to our team and look forward to the contribution he will make to our firm and the ventures that we choose to fund."

Tennenhouse brings a combination of scientific and operational experience to ATV and its portfolio companies. As a Senior Research Scientist at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science and Sloan School of Management, Tennenhouse leads the Software Devices and Systems Group which is addressing systems and strategy issues related to active networks, information appliances, and wireless communications. He was a co-founder of a software company focused on distributed computing and fault tolerant transaction processing. He has also served as a consultant to such organizations as Olivetti, Sun Microsystems and National Westminster Bank.

Currently on leave from MIT to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Tennenhouse is serving as Director of the agency's Information Technology Office. At DARPA, he is responsible for information technology issues of strategic concern to the U.S. government, including advanced computer architectures, operating systems, networks, spoken language systems, collaboration tools and visualization software.

Tennenhouse studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto, where he received his B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. degrees. He completed his Ph.D. at the Computer Laboratory of the University of Cambridge and joined the faculty of MIT in 1989. He is a member of the ACM and IEEE and served on the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Tennenhouse joins ATV illustrious group of Special Limited Partners in the information technology sector, including:

--Dr. Ivan E. Sutherland - co-founder of ATV, co-founder and board member of Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation, and a Fellow at Sun Microsystems. Widely acknowledged as an expert in graphics and computer technologies, Dr. Sutherland is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, and has been awarded the prestigious Turing Award for Computer Science and the Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award. --Dr. William R. (Bert) Sutherland - managing director of Sunlabs, Inc., where he oversees the development efforts of more than 200 scientists and engineers at Sun Microsystems. He was previously a deputy director at Xerox PARC and vice president of engineering at BBN. --Dr. Robert F. Sproull - vice president and Fellow at Sun Microsystems Laboratories. Prior to Sun, he was a principal with Sutherland, Sproull & Associates, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Xerox PARC team. He is also the co-author of "Principles of Interactive Computer Graphics," a seminal work on the subject of computer graphics. --Dr. Edward H. Frank - co-founder and Executive Vice President of Epigram, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based telecommunications company. He was co-founder and Vice President of Research and Development of Netpower, Inc., a Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems, Inc., and manager of Advanced Development of Astek Pty. Ltd.

About ATV

Advanced Technology Ventures, founded in 1979, is a leading venture capital firm focusing on early stage opportunities in information technology and health care. ATV's management experience, technology expertise, global network of industry contacts and collaborative style has helped more than 100 companies navigate from inception to IPO and beyond.

With more than $300 million currently under management, ATV's investment philosophy centers on collaborative and active participation with the management teams of its portfolio companies. The firm's most recent investment fund, ATV V, closed in July at $175 million.