Be a Survivor: Outwit, Outplay and Outlast.

Survivor -- Dot-com Style... Thirteen new entrants have emerged on the real estate e-commerce landscape. It's a diverse group of startups with widely varying origins as well as business models. Over the next 12 months, PikeNet will track these companies in the Internet launch game -- a contest that is two parts adventure and eight parts surviving the VC peer group selection process. Who will succeed? What alliances will be formed? It's an adventure that pits each of these companies in a rigorous contest of endurance that will reward the survivor(s) a grand prize -- a potential $100 million IPO! They will compete to see who yields the strongest click-and-mortar power. It's a challenge in diving for seed-stage dollars, sourcing deep-pockets capital and wooing loyal customers. Which of the following players will become leaders of the new real estate economy?

AvidXchange... An e-marketplace for real estate operations and procurement, focused on the Southeast region; HQ in Charlotte, NC. Buzz: first round $2 million funding under its belt from local high-net worth individuals.

Brickwire... A building-centric portal that leverages communication between owners and tenants; HQ in Boston, MA. Buzz: Chairman/Founder Kevin McCall has reputation as a sharp intellectual - strong credentials as former CEO of Paradigm, AEW executive, and partner at Spaulding & Slye.

Cubitz... A leasing site that will facilitate the matching of transactions, where tenants and brokers can increase their profitability; HQ in Seattle, WA. Buzz: Loeb Partners and Insignia have provided second round financing to the tune of $2 million.

DealMover... A web-enabled reincarnation of the popular Strategen software, a sophisticated portfolio management system; HQ in Santa Monica, CA. Buzz: solid technical foundation from WestMarkHarris with a launch date in September, 2000.

e-idc... A catalog and specifications hub targeted at the design and construction trade; HQ in Annapolis, MD. Buzz: have tied up an agreement with McGraw-Hill to host the Sweet's catalog online, launch date in October, 2000.

PropertyCapital... A real estate investment marketplace that links investors/capital sources to property owners and developers; HQ in San Francisco, CA. Buzz: one of the few dot-coms founded and led by women entrepreneurs.

PropertyRover... A new way to find properties by viewing multiple commercial listings sites utilizing proprietary search technology; HQ in CA. Buzz: recently won a Silicon Valley contest sponsored by the VC giant, Yazam, to appear on PBS's MoneyHunt show.

RealPrompt... An online workflow platform that delivers end-to-end transaction management solutions; HQ in San Francisco. Buzz: the CEO, Mo Barzegar, has former experience as VP of Transactions at AMB Property Corp.

RealStandard... The retail real estate portal providing news, research, trends and deal making; HQ in Brooklyn, NY. Buzz: very stealth, rumored to be affiliated with Forest City.

RentPort... A means for tracking rent payment information from multi-family property owners to major credit bureaus, which assists the rental housing industry with tenant credit risk assessments; HQ in New York. Buzz: has enjoyed a spate of good press with coverage in Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

RexOffice... A work portal connecting employees with their company, their building and their local community, HQ in New York City. Buzz: The commercial office evolution of EdificeRex, created and funded by Insignia.

VirtualPremise... A suite of Internet applications to help simplify and manage corporate real estate transactions, workflow and documentation. Buzz: Part of a growing real estate dot-com presence in Atlanta, GA.

Zethus... A transaction platform that unites buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and brokers; HQ in Houston. Buzz: Goldman Sachs and Cushman & Wakefield have committed significant (+/- $40 million) in funds, launch in early 2001.

Stay-tuned to the PikeNet Dispatch for future updates on these new dot-com players. See them in person at the PikeNet Expo in New York on October 23-24 and judge for yourself, which of these companies will be the survivors!

--Eileen Circo