// startup autopsy
@Backup
The cloud backup pioneer that arrived a decade too early
timingSlow Death
Years-long decline before final shutdown · Fatal mistake: @Backup built a consumer cloud backup product before broadband infrastructure existed at scale to make it practical or affordable for mainstream users.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
@Backup founded to provide online cloud backup services to consumers and businesses over the early internet.
FUNDING
Raised $22M in dot-com era funding to scale infrastructure and acquire customers for its online backup platform.
DOWN ROUND
Dot-com bubble burst eliminated follow-on funding prospects; company entered survival mode as cash reserves dwindled.
SHUTDOWN
@Backup shut down after exhausting dot-com funding with insufficient broadband adoption to sustain a consumer cloud backup business.