But again, despite critical admiration and an initial flurry of public interest, these works proved nine-day wonders, not pieces that would appeal to general audiences and enter a company's repertoire.

ECONOMIST: Contemporary opera

On the whole, the best records, as measured by average annual return of initial public offerings, even including these blockbusters, did not belong to the flashiest venture capital outfits (see table, opposite).

FORBES: Status seekers

At some point, we will start to see initial public offerings come to market, and if these do well, the urge to own biotech stocks will become even greater still.

FORBES: Magazine Article