May 19 (Bloomberg) -- OpenTable Inc., the restaurant- reservation Web site, boosted the price range of its initial public offering, signaling a resurgence in demand for technology IPOs.

The company plans to sell 3 million shares this week for $16 to $18 each, according to a regulatory filing today. That’s up from a previous goal of as much as $14.

The deal, which would raise as much as $54 million, marks the fifth U.S. technology IPO this year -- assuming an offering from SolarWinds Inc. prices today. OpenTable is a barometer for technology startups because it’s a young business with less revenue than other companies that went public this year, said Paul Bard, an analyst at Renaissance Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut.

SolarWinds -- which makes network-management software, not renewable energy -- plans to raise as much as $139.3 million with 12.1 million shares. Three other U.S. technology companies have staged IPOs this quarter, after no deals in the fourth period of 2008 and the first quarter of this year. That was the worst drought in at least 38 years.

Silicon Valley is closely watching OpenTable for signs that other startups can go public, said Lise Buyer, an IPO consultant in Portola Valley, California.

OpenTable, based in San Francisco, generated $55.8 million in sales last year. The company has relationships with about 9,500 restaurants in North America, according to regulatory filings. Sales climbed 36 percent in 2008 as the company added partners. It lost $1.02 million last year because of the cost of expanding into Europe.

The company’s stock will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “OPEN.” SolarWinds will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under “SWI.”

OpenTable plans to raise about $21.9 million after expenses, assuming a price of $17 a share. It will use the money for general corporate purposes and possible acquisitions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Mullaney in New York at tmullaney1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 19, 2009 11:50 EDT