Robert Metcalfe

Dr. Robert M. ("Bob") Metcalfe is a venture capitalist at Polaris Venture Partners in Waltham, Massachusetts. Polaris partners are early-stage investors in information and medical technologies. Metcalfe specializes in Boston-based information technology start-ups. Metcalfe serves on the boards of IDG, IDC, MIT, MediaLabEurope, Kelmscott Rare Breeds Foundation, Camden Technology Conference, Avistar, Narad, Avaki, and Ember. Metcalfe had three careers before becoming a venture capitalist on 1/1/1: While an engineer-scientist (1965-1979), Metcalfe helped build the early Internet. In 1973, at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, he invented Ethernet, the international local-area networking standard on which he shares four patents. While an entrepreneur-executive (1979-1990), Metcalfe founded 3Com Corporation, the billion- dollar networking company where at various times he was Chairman, CEO, division general manager, and vice president of engineering, marketing, and sales.