Aurigin Systems and Andersen Consulting Strategic Partners
Sun Microsystems Named Technology Platform Provider -

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (August 10, 1999) - yet2.com announced today that it will establish a global forum for proprietary technology exchange on the Internet that will feature intellectual property from every field of human endeavor. In late Fall ´99, the site will provide users with a vast opportunity to purchase some of the world's most valuable technologies, and promises to be the most efficient method of streamlining research and development efforts and extracting value from intellectual assets.

yet2.com will generate a critical mass of intellectual properties through its agreements with leading advanced technology corporations including 3M, AlliedSignal, The Boeing Company, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, Ford Motor Company, Honeywell Inc., Polaroid Corporation, "The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) and Rockwell. These intellectual capital contributors are founding partners of the technology exchange forum on yet2.com and have agreed to provide valuable technologies to be traded on this new Internet site. In addition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the first U.S. Government research agency that will list its technology portfolio.

DuPont is making a significant financial commitment to yet2.com. "Our involvement in yet2.com aligns directly with DuPont´s strategic plans to strengthen Internet capabilities and more fully participate in the growing field of e-commerce," says Erik Fyrwald, DuPont vice president, E-Commerce and Business Development. "This new expertise will enable scientists and engineers worldwide to be more efficient in the development of new products."

In addition to founding partners, the company has also established strategic partnerships with Andersen Consulting, the world´s largest provider of internet services, and Aurigin Systems, Inc., the global leader in intellectual asset management solutions. Andersen Consulting is working with yet2.com to help the company build and deliver the business capability it needs to thrive.

Aurigin Systems will provide yet2.com users with the ability to search US and European patent databases for selected patents. Further, the AuriginTM Intellectual Property Asset Management (IPAM) system will allow yet2.com users to employ analytical and visualization tools to perform strategic analysis of patents and other intellectual property.

Sun Microsystems, a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet, will serve as the technology platform provider. "yet2.com is providing an exciting new dimension to internet commerce and we´re delighted to be providing the company with the most scalable and robust internet services platform," says Doug Kaewert, Vice President, Market Development at Sun Microsystems.

The technology available on yet2.com will continue to expand exponentially with the addition of U.S.- and foreign-based companies, government agencies and institutions. yet2.com has been introduced to several international companies and yet2.com plans to announce its European and Asian founding partners in the months to come.

The Internet has always been a place for research scientists, technologists and academics to exchange ideas and share research," explained Chris De Bleser, chief executive officer of yet2.com. "We are taking this concept a step further and creating an electronic community where companies and other technology-rich institutions can come to buy, sell and research technology quickly, easily and efficiently."

In fact, it is this body of individuals, estimated by the company to be in the range of 2.5 million people, who will be the primary beneficiaries of the site. "We believe that engineers working on product development will be able to shorten product delivery times substantially when they are able to access available technologies more efficiently," continued De Bleser. Moreover, large corporations currently investing heavily in pure research will also benefit by gaining access to external technologies.

"yet2.com will change my business model," says Joseph A. Miller, Jr., DuPont senior vice president and Chief Science & Technology Officer. "We will utilize this access to the world of available technology to bring new products to market."

Jeffrey D. Weedman, P&G's Vice President Global Licensing explains, "Innovation is the lifeblood of Procter & Gamble's business." "When it comes to licensing technology, in or out, we're open for business; yet2.com is the storefront we´ve been looking for."

The site will also provide an opportunity for holders of intellectual property to maximize value from currently held technology and proprietary knowledge. Currently, the domestic technology transfer market is estimated at a minimum of $10 billion and growing rapidly. However, the market is fragmented, decentralized and inefficient.

"The current technology transfer process is seriously limited by the difficulty licensors and licensees have in identifying one another. In addition, providers must incur significant expense and time determining deal making potential. yet2.com establishes a marketplace that overcomes these barriers, creating an incredible advantage to both providers and purchasers," said Theo Grigoriou, President - Licensing, Technology Division, AlliedSignal, Inc.

"Boeing is ready to market a wide range of technologies and patents from its cutting edge space, commercial and defense programs, and this initiative promises to be an effective way to do that," said Robert Ott, director, Product & Technology Licensing, The Boeing Company.

According to Henry Fradkin, director, Patent & Technology Licensing Office, in Ford Global Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, "Like many corporations, Ford owns thousands of technology patents and proprietary intellectual assets that we feel can now be shared. These assets are of great dollar value; so, we expect to reap additional financial benefit from our considerable investments in research."

Noted Ben du Pont, president of yet2.com, "We believe this site, which serves as an open floor to trading, is itself a technological breakthrough. yet2.com will establish an historic precedent by making available some of the most valuable commercial technology ever created, using the Internet to promote and facilitate access. We anticipate a dramatic increase in deals resulting from new relationships and utilization of previously untapped technologies. This will be revolutionary for all users and providers of technology."

Edward Roman, divisional vice president, deputy general counsel and chief patent counsel, Polaroid Corporation, explains, "Polaroid has embarked on an active program of licensing its myriad of diverse technologies," says Mr. Roman. "We believe that yet2.com presents a wonderful opportunity to utilize the Internet to make the world´s leading companies aware of Polaroid´s technological assets."

Starting today, potential buyers and sellers can learn more about this opportunity and register their areas of technology interest at www.yet2.com. Technology postings will be available for review and purchase in the late Fall, 1999.

yet2.com LLC, incorporated in Delaware, is a Cambridge based limited liability company. The company has established this global forum for technology exchange, on the Internet at www.yet2.com. yet2.com has enlisted a growing core of leading corporations and government agencies to pledge technology assets for trading.