ActiveWorlds, Inc.

Founded in August 1995 as Circle of Fire Studios, ActiveWorlds Inc. was originally a content creation team focused on Active Worlds (then AlphaWorld). The team produced a number of areas and events for Active Worlds, gaining the attention of the game's original publisher, Worlds Inc. As Circle of Fire, the team would work directly with Worlds on a few occasions, producing demos and locations for Active Worlds.

In January 1997, a series of layoffs at Worlds Inc. led the entire Active Worlds development team to be laid off and the rights to Active Worlds to be put up for sale. A month later, Circle of Fire would purchase the game, hiring back a number of former developers alongside the acquisition. Following the acquisition, AlphaWorld would be renamed to Active Worlds, although Circle of Fire would not be renamed to ActiveWorlds Inc. until 1999, following a merger with Vanguard Enterprises, Inc.