▁links ▁to ▁Ge oby tes ▁web ▁site . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁F ounded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Ge oby tes ' ▁Ge ol ocation ▁services ▁were ▁originally ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁requirements ▁of ▁the ▁online ▁advert ising ▁industry . ▁ ▁Pre - in cor por ation ▁▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁ge ograph ically ▁mapping ▁the ▁Internet ▁and ▁the ▁dependent ▁technology ▁of ▁ge ograph ically ▁target ing ▁online ▁advert ising ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁founder ▁& ▁CE O ▁Ad rian ▁Mc E ll ig ott ▁whilst ▁prom oting ▁an ▁email ▁notification ▁tool ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁developed . ▁He ▁wanted ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁market ing ▁of ▁this ▁product ▁to ▁certain ▁ge ographic ▁regions , ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁possible ▁using ▁the ▁available ▁ad - ser ving ▁technology ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁This ▁discovery ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁comm enc ement ▁of ▁the ▁Net World Map ▁project ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁and ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁to ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁Ge oby tes ▁Technology ▁Project . ▁ ▁In cor por ation ▁▁ ▁Ge oby tes , ▁Inc ▁started ▁as ▁a ▁global ▁Internet ▁Business - to - Bus iness ▁( B 2 B ) ▁technology ▁company , ▁primarily ▁serv icing ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁advert ising ▁industry . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Del aware , ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁December , ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁The ▁principal ▁share hold ers ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁were , ▁and ▁still ▁are ▁the ▁found ers , ▁together ▁holding ▁