Cyberian Outpost
Formerly located in Kent, CT

When an entrepreneur named Darryl Peck started one of the first online vendors of discount computer hardware and software in Kent, Conn., in 1995, Connecticut Innovations became one of his first investors, contributing $1.62 million toward the early dot-com venture.

That early investment helped Cyberian Outpost, known as Outpost.com on the Internet, bring in another $95 million in venture capital and go public in 1998. Cyberian Outpost quickly grew into Kent’s largest employer, with 300 people working at one of the nation’s first successful online vendors.

The market crash of 2000-2001 took a toll on the company, which was sold in 2001 to Fry’s Electronics in California. But Cyberian Outpost had pioneered the all-Internet retail model and enjoyed a highly successful IPO, allowing Connecticut Innovations to earn multiple times its initial investment.

www.cyberian.com