LinkExchange was a popularInternet advertising cooperative, similar in function to awebring, originally known asInternet Link Exchange orILE.
It was founded in March 1996 by 23-year-oldHarvard graduatesTony Hsieh (who later went on to invest in and become the CEO ofZappos) and Sanjay Madan.[1]Ali Partovi later joined them as a third partner in August 1996.[2]Alfred Lin dropped out of his Stanford PhD program to join as CFO.[3] In November 1996, when the company consisted of about 10 people, it moved from Hsieh's and Madan's living room to an office[4] inSan Francisco. In May 1997, the company received US$3 million in funding fromSequoia Capital.[5]
In June 1998, LinkExchange acquired MerchantPlanet, an early shopping cart and credit card application.[6] That same month it also acquiredSubmit It! Inc., developers of Submit It!, ClickTrade, andListBot.[7]
In November 1998, when LinkExchange had 100 employees, it was acquired byMicrosoft[8] for US$265 million.[9]
LinkExchange stopped taking new applications on November 15, 2006. On June 4, 2007 it stopped serving banners.[10]
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