Brian Hinman
Encyclopedia
Brian L. Hinman is an entrepreneur and investor in high technology businesses and specifically a pioneer in the computer based communications industry. Hinman founded three successful (annual revenues greater than $500 million) high technology companies; PictureTel Corp.
(Videoconferencing
), Polycom
(Conference call
), and 2Wire
(Digital Subscriber Line
). Both PictureTel Corp.
and Polycom
had Initial Public Offering
s. It is interesting to note that Hinman and his co-founders took PictureTel public in November 1984, only three months after the company was founded, and two years before the first product was shipped. 2Wire
was acquired by set-top box maker Pace in July, 2010. Technologies where Hinman has been granted patents include Video compression and Conference call
s.
Brian received a BSEE from the University of Maryland, College Park
in December 1982, and an MSEE from MIT in June 1984. Hinman later sponsored an entrepreneurship program at University of Maryland, College Park
called the "Hinman CEOs". Hinman has 18 issued patents cover a range of technologies, including circuit design, algorithms, optical design and industrial design: US Patents: 4661849, 4703350, 4727422, 5365583, 5390244, 5568279, 5757547, 5940049, 6081378, 6285754, 6694016, 6977958, 7072385, 7499438, 7535880, 7672448, D367663, D903543. He was an Ernst& Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" winner in 2005.
Hinman joined Oak Investment Partners
in 2006 as a Venture Partner where he works with Cleantech investments such as algae company Aurora Algae and solar technology companies eSolar
and GreenVolts. Hinman has also been involved with public-private partnerships by buying and funding an underfunded fire station in Los Gatos.
Hinman, the son of Earl E Hinman, Jr grew up primarily in Wheaton, Maryland
PictureTel Corp.
PictureTel Corp was one of the first commercial videoconferencing product companies. It achieved peak revenues of over $400 million in 1996 and 1997 and was eventually acquired by Polycom in October 2001.-History:...
(Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
), Polycom
Polycom
Polycom is a multinational corporation with approximately 3,200 employees worldwide and an annual revenue of approximately $1.2 billion in 2010. The company manufactures and sells telepresence and voice communications solutions.-Company History 1990:...
(Conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...
), and 2Wire
2Wire
2Wire, Inc., is a home networking Customer Premises Equipment manufacturer that provides telecommunications companies with hardware, software, service platforms, and remote CPE management systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, in the Silicon Valley...
(Digital Subscriber Line
Digital Subscriber Line
Digital subscriber line is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ,...
). Both PictureTel Corp.
PictureTel Corp.
PictureTel Corp was one of the first commercial videoconferencing product companies. It achieved peak revenues of over $400 million in 1996 and 1997 and was eventually acquired by Polycom in October 2001.-History:...
and Polycom
Polycom
Polycom is a multinational corporation with approximately 3,200 employees worldwide and an annual revenue of approximately $1.2 billion in 2010. The company manufactures and sells telepresence and voice communications solutions.-Company History 1990:...
had Initial Public Offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
s. It is interesting to note that Hinman and his co-founders took PictureTel public in November 1984, only three months after the company was founded, and two years before the first product was shipped. 2Wire
2Wire
2Wire, Inc., is a home networking Customer Premises Equipment manufacturer that provides telecommunications companies with hardware, software, service platforms, and remote CPE management systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, in the Silicon Valley...
was acquired by set-top box maker Pace in July, 2010. Technologies where Hinman has been granted patents include Video compression and Conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...
s.
Brian received a BSEE from the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in December 1982, and an MSEE from MIT in June 1984. Hinman later sponsored an entrepreneurship program at University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
called the "Hinman CEOs". Hinman has 18 issued patents cover a range of technologies, including circuit design, algorithms, optical design and industrial design: US Patents: 4661849, 4703350, 4727422, 5365583, 5390244, 5568279, 5757547, 5940049, 6081378, 6285754, 6694016, 6977958, 7072385, 7499438, 7535880, 7672448, D367663, D903543. He was an Ernst& Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" winner in 2005.
Hinman joined Oak Investment Partners
Oak Investment Partners
Oak Investment Partners is a private equity firm focusing on venture capital investments in companies developing communications systems, information technology, new Internet media, healthcare services and retail....
in 2006 as a Venture Partner where he works with Cleantech investments such as algae company Aurora Algae and solar technology companies eSolar
ESolar
eSolar was founded by the Pasadena-based business incubator Idealab in 2007 as a developer of concentrating solar power plant technology....
and GreenVolts. Hinman has also been involved with public-private partnerships by buying and funding an underfunded fire station in Los Gatos.
Hinman, the son of Earl E Hinman, Jr grew up primarily in Wheaton, Maryland