FRAMINGHAM (02/21/2000) - Location: 471 El Camino Real, Suite 110, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050Telephone: (408) 236-3620Web: www.boldfish.comNiche: High-performance bulk e-mailing systemWhy they're worth watching: High-speed, high-volume messaging can take a heavy toll on corporate messaging infrastructure and conventional customer service systems. BoldFish's on-the-fly content creation and return message handling can eliminate many of those problems at potentially lower cost than e-mail outsourcing services.

Company officers: - Tasos Kotsikonas, Dean Drako, Rob Anue, co-founders- Barbara Tallent, acting CEO- Peter Moore, chief technology officerMilestones:- 1997: Company founded as E-mail Solutions Inc.- 1998: BoldFish ships- 1999: Round one venture capital financing; company name changed to BoldFish Inc.

Employees: 35; Expects to grow by about 50 percent during the next six monthsBurn money: Alloy Ventures Inc., Mayfield Fund and Stanford University provided BoldFish's first round of venture capital financing.

Products: BoldFish enterprise software, BoldFish Marketing QuickStart customized consultation, BoldFish Professional Services end-to-end consultingCustomers: Colgate-Palmolive Co., Stockpoint Inc.

Partner: E.piphany Inc.

Red flags for IT:- Today's outbound mailing systems really aren't meant to handle massive, regular volumes of mail, and the problem is becoming acute. - Many firms have already developed in-house mailing solutions.- Although BoldFish's software license includes some tough language to prevent customers from spamming, it remains a liability.