Bill Gates next venture is a think tank? According to this article, people close to Gates say that this is not a commercial venture but there are things that suggest it might be. Who knows...

Public documents describe the new Gates entity -- bgC3 LLC -- as a "think tank." It's housed within a Kirkland office that the Microsoft co-founder established on his own after leaving his day-to-day executive role at the company this summer.  Is this Bill Gates' next big business? A Gates insider gives an emphatic no -- saying it's not a commercial venture but rather a vehicle to coordinate the software mogul's work on his business and philanthropic endeavors. However, bgC3 will also oversee Gates' personal pursuit of breakthrough ideas in science and technology. The insider said the goal isn't necessarily to create new companies, although ideas could be passed along to Microsoft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation -- or others � as it makes sense. Whatever the ultimate role of the company, the circumstances surrounding its creation provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the new era of Gates' life.

State records show that the company, originally called Carillon Holdings, was established in March 2008. It formally changed its name to bgC3 in early July, 10 days after Gates left his full-time job at the company he built into an industry giant. He remains Microsoft's chairman and continues to work part-time on projects. The records describe bgC3 as a "holding company" headquartered in Kirkland �a relatively short, picturesque drive from Gates' home on Lake Washington. Federal trademark filings provide more clues � describing bgC3 as a think tank, under a generic trademark classification that corresponds broadly to areas including "scientific and technological services," "industrial analysis and research," and "design and development of computer hardware and software."

But what does bgC3 mean? The logical assumption might be "Bill Gates Company Three" � his third enterprise after Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But that's only partially right, according to the Gates insider. The "bg" is Bill Gates, the insider says, but the "C" stands for "catalyst." The idea is that Gates will play that role as he brings together new people and ideas. The "three" reflects the notion of a third place, apart from Microsoft and the foundation.