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The Frontier Curve of Innovation is a framework used to analyze the timing of an opportunity in Venture Capital. This tool is meant to frame opportunities based on their readiness to go to market based on the available technology and the interest of adoption for industries. The Frontier Curve of Innovation was invented by the Venture Capital firm, Bee Partners in 2010.

Introduction
Imagine a curve that represents the current technology horizon at any given moment. This curve is forever expanding outward as technology progresses and discovery unlocks its breakthroughs. Along this curve are an infinite number of points that represent possible business opportunities and problems to solve with current technology-based solutions. This forms the base of the investment construct known as The Frontier Curve of Innovation (FCI). This curve is a framework to place opportunities in time and space relative to the current (and near-future) market, and to track as markets mature. Each curve represents a snapshot in time where certain technologies, platforms, and industries are emerging and new, blue ocean markets, became possible. Some opportunities are bigger than others, and some never materialize. Placing them on this curve brings structure to the decision-making process.

Too Early - Outside the FCI
Innovations outside the frontier curve of today are considered to be too far from market. While often interesting to consider, these opportunities take the shape of science experiments or projects inside big-vision R&D labs. They are too early to support their current, relative value chain, though perhaps attainable somewhere in the near-to-distant future. This timing is important as opportunities just beyond the frontier—within the 12-18 month horizon—should be considered. The fundamental trait of opportunities too far beyond the FCI are that they attack both technological and business unknowns.

Too Late - Inside the FCI
Opportunities inside the curve are those that are late to the market or not performing at their full potential. Whether it be stale technology, existing business models, or poor team execution, these investment opportunities are not sufficient for the solutions of tomorrow. They have been outcompeted by other startups, and large organizations have started to deploy resources towards their own desired solution.

Just Right (The Golden Zone) - Operating On (or JUST Beyond) the Frontier
Founders should operate at or just beyond the FCI. By holding either the technology or the industry as a constant, Founders are better able to control the timing of their business to market. Due to the novelty of the technology or the industry, there is or will very soon be a business opportunity.

Conclusion
Against this framework, it's important to ask, why has this opportunity not presented itself before? What new technology or other macro factor(s) have brought about the right conditions? Will the enterprise easily absorb the technology? Why will the market adopt this new business offering when ripe?

The FCI lays the foundation for qualitative assessments of early stage ventures. It helps place opportunities in time and space, while framing technologies and solutions in their proximity to market. Just as deadly to a startup as being too late to market, is being too early.

Succinctly, The Frontier Curve of Innovation is a construct measuring time. Often forgotten in the startup world is the importance of timing. The industry talks about "product-market fit", which is surely crucial, but just as important is the concept of "timing-market fit". Many people think that the biggest death sentence is being late to market (competition), but being early to market is just as fatal (no customers). The Frontier Curve of Innovation can help determine the timing of a startup.