InfoRocket.com Closes $25 Million Second Round of Funding

Business Wire, May 8, 2000

Business & Multimedia Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2000

Investment Shows Continued Growth and Demand for the

Online "Information Marketplace" Category

InfoRocket.com, the world's first question-and-answer marketplace, today announces the close of a $25 million second round of funding led by Carlyle Venture Partners.

The three firms that initially invested in InfoRocket.com, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Prospect Street Ventures and Garage.com are participating again in the financing.

InfoRocket.com will use the funds for working capital, marketing and operating purposes. J. Mitchell Reese, managing director of Carlyle Venture Partners, will also join InfoRocket.com's board.

InfoRocket.com is the fast way to the right answer - guaranteed. The site quickly connects people who have questions to people who have the answers on everything from "What are the most romantic hotels in Paris?" to "How do I write a business plan?" to "How many computers were sold in China in 1999?" InfoRocket.com was the fifth fastest growing site on the Internet in March and was the fastest growing site in the Information Marketplace category, according to PC Data Online.

"The financial commitment of these leading venture firms demonstrates their confidence in InfoRocket.com's business model," said Beth Haggerty, CEO of InfoRocket.com. "According to a recent Datamonitor report, the next 'killer Internet application' will be the 'person-to-person information exchange.' InfoRocket.com is committed to being the leading player in the category by creating the question and answer marketplace for information and ideas."

"InfoRocket.com taps into the full power of the Internet by bringing people together and allowing them to get credible and personalized answers fast," said Arun Gupta of Carlyle Ventures Partners. "The Information Marketplace category has huge international potential as it enables any person to now earn money by sharing their personal or professional expertise with people looking for answers."

Carlyle Venture Partners, a member of The Carlyle Group based in Washington, D.C., is a $210 million equity investment fund dedicated to venture-oriented opportunities.

"We are reinvesting in InfoRocket.com because we are confident in its business model and with the company's experienced management team," said Steve Jurvetson, managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. "Since the first round of financing, InfoRocket.com has proven it has huge potential for viral growth."

Silicon Valley-based Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a leader in start-up venture capital, also has funded such companies as Hotmail, Third Voice, GoTo.com, Netcentives and NetZero.

About InfoRocket.com

InfoRocket.com is the fast way to the right answer -- guaranteed. Based in New York, InfoRocket.com is the world's first question-and-answer marketplace powered by a person-to-person auction format that connects people with questions to people with answers. Questions asked on the site range from simple, factual inquiries, such as "What is the most effective day-trading software?" to opinions based on relevant knowledge, like "Which breed of dog is the smartest?" to more complicated, service-related questions, such as "Do I need a business license for my small business?" InfoRocket.com was the fifth fastest growing site on the Internet, and the fastest growing Information Marketplace in March 2000 according to PC Data Online. InfoRocket.com is a privately held company backed by venture funding from Carlyle Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Prospect Street Ventures and Garage.com. For more information about the company, visit www.inforocket.com.

About Carlyle Venture Partners

Carlyle Venture Partners, L.P. is a $210 million venture capital fund focused on the Internet/information technology, communications, health care services, financial services and business service industries. Carlyle Venture Partners is affiliated with the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm based in Washington, DC. The firm currently has over $3.5 billion of capital under management by separate teams dedicated to management-led buyouts and strategic minority investments, venture capital, real estate and investment opportunities. Carlyle Venture Partners' prior Internet-related investments include AnyDay.com, Blackboard Inc., Narrative Communications Corp. (sold to At Home Corporation, NASDAQ: ATHM, in December 1998), NorthPoint Communications Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: NPNT), Cidera, formerly known as SkyCache, Inc., PrimeStreet.com and VarsityBooks.com (Nasdaq: VSTY). www.thecarlylegroup.com/venture.> About Draper Fisher Jurvetson

Draper Fisher Jurvetson is the leader in start-up venture capital, having invested in over 80 Internet companies. DFJ focuses on information technology businesses with enormous market potential. The firm's role is to help entrepreneurs achieve their maximum potential through team building, partnerships, advice and support, as well as investments. By pursuing a people-focused approach to venture capital investing, DFJ continues to fund entrepreneurs with the energy, vision, experience, and desire to build great companies. Find out more by visiting http://www.dfj.com.