In those early days of personal computers, too many critical pieces needed to be developed. As a result, joint ventures and mergers were a common way to combine resources with other entrepreneurs to build a brand. That is what happened with Gambit Group in the mid-1980s. Genesis Computers, based in Golden, Colorado manufactured PC clones, and was looking to partner with a software company to grow market share, so they approached me. I, in turn, found Unidot. They were an electronics engineering company that had created a digital phototypesetter for Siemens that could connect to PCs through an RS-232 port. Because they had the North American distribution rights to the Laserset Phototypesetter, a 3-way venture was formed which we called Genesis Graphics Group. We packaged our software on the Genesis PC, acquired distribution rights to TyXset, which was a PC-based version of the same TEX publishing software I had worked with at IHS, and with the phototypesetter, we had a full in-house desktop publishing solution.
We operated Ad-Venture Design, a graphics and typesetting service bureau, as a profit-generating business unit to demonstrate our systems. As part of our community outreach, we relocated Ad-Venture Design into the Peña Plaza in Denver, where we provided complementary design and graphics services for the clients of the Minority Business Development Center (MBDC) which was run by Sarah Fuentes. We continued to operate Ad-Venture Design as an independent operation until 1991.
We debuted our publishing system at the National Composition Association Convention in McCormick Place in 1985. At the same convention a different 3-way joint venture also debuted – this one between Apple Computer, Aldus Corporation, and Allied Linotype.
Our response at the convention was very favorable, and we had a great profit margin. But the Laserset was manufactured by Siemens in Germany and Imported into the US. When Reagan deflated the dollar later that year, it effectively doubled our import cost and placed our cost of goods higher than Allied Linotype’s retail price, thus pricing us out of the market. The assets were sold off, and the venture was closed.