Ticker Talk

By KAREN KAPLAN

July 15, 1999 12 AM PT

NetZero, the free Internet service provider in Westlake Village, filed registration papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday to raise an estimated $115 million in an initial public offering. The company did not specify how many shares it plans to sell or an expected price. NetZero has signed up more than 1 million customers since its October launch who tolerate a 3 1/2-by-1-inch window on their desktop that displays a new advertisement every 30 seconds. Customers must also supply personal information and let the service track their Web-surfing habits. NetZero lost $5.1 million on $781,000 in revenue in the first three months of the year, according to its filing. The company completed a $33-million round of private financing in May. Goldman Sachs, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Hambrecht & Quist and Wit Capital will underwrite the offering.

Technology and the Internet Business

Karen Kaplan

Karen Kaplan covers science and medical research for the Los Angeles Times. She has been a member of the science team since 2005, including 13 years as an editor. Her first decade at The Times was spent covering technology in the Business section as both a reporter and editor. She grew up in San Diego and is a graduate of MIT and Columbia University.

Ticker Talk

More From the Los Angeles Times