Last year two established holdings, Dallas Semiconductor and Xircom, were bought out at nice premiums.

FORBES: Learning From an Icon

In 1988, he founded Xircom because he thought Ethernet connectivity would go mobile.

FORBES: Xirrus: Getting a Piece of the Mobile Megatrend

If Buckley can do at Xirrus what Russo accomplished at Xircom, maybe Gates can enjoy another big win by 2018.

FORBES: CEO Replaces Himself to Grow Xirrus Fast From $100 Million

The wireless networking company, which came in No. 9 in the 2010 ranking, benefits partly from the background of its founder, Dirk Gates, who took his previous company, Xircom, public before selling it to Intel Corp.

WSJ: Looking for the 'Next Big Thing'? Ranking the Top 50 Start-Ups