August 9, 1995
Netscape IPO ignites the dot-com gold rush
NetscapeA commercial web browser company — Navigator defined the early consumer web. Communications went public on August 9, 1995 — its stock more than doubled on the first day of trading, signaling that internet companies could command blockbuster valuations.
What it was for
The IPOInitial public offering — when a private company first sells shares on a stock exchange. turned Andreessen and Clark's browser startup into a Wall Street sensation and proved venture-backed software could mint billionaires overnight. It kicked off a decade of internet IPOInitial public offering — when a private company first sells shares on a stock exchange. mania, telecom overbuild, and the hiring boom that crashed when NASDAQ peaked in March 2000.
Companies
- Netscape
Why it's here
NetscapeA commercial web browser company — Navigator defined the early consumer web.'s IPOInitial public offering — when a private company first sells shares on a stock exchange. is the moment Wall Street fell in love with the internet.
Why it mattered
It validated the browser as a platform and made 'internet company' a fundable category.
What it solved
Investors needed proof that web software could generate public-market returns, not just hype.
Media
ImageComputer History - Netscape Navigatorgabrielsaldana, CC BY 2.0, via flickr
Related
- Netscape Navigator 1.0 shippedDecember 15, 1994
- Internet Explorer 1.0 releasedAugust 16, 1995
- NASDAQ peaks at the height of the dot-com bubbleMarch 10, 2000