There can only be one Silicon Valley, but
that doesn’t mean other thriving tech hubs won’t try
and emulate its success. However, the Bay Area’s constant innovation, thousands
of tech companies and its educated, driven workforce make it hard to beat. But with
San Francisco being so notoriously expensive and the competition fierce, many
startups choose to build their company elsewhere. Luckily, advances in
technology means these companies can settle anywhere and choose the lifestyle
they want.
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| Downtown San Francisco: not the only thriving tech hub. Photo: Aaron Logan "Lightmatter sanfrancisco". Licensed under CC BY 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons -http://bit.ly/1zzDAJ3 |
We hope you enjoy this two-part blog post that
examines popular tech hubs competing with Silicon Valley to become the premier
tech destination and that uncovers which lifestyle factors motivate tech
workers to stay there.
The Northwest
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is a thriving tech hub with Microsoft,
Amazon, Nintendo and a slew of other established tech companies as well as startups
nearby. Washington’s robust technical educational program and libraries also
provide ample resources for young Millennials looking to join the tech job
market. Even Seattle’s non-tech companies like Starbucks have embraced the
digital world with mobile payment options that rival
Apple Pay. Finally, opportunities for nature enthusiasts, renowned seafood, and
more make Seattle a great alternative to Silicon Valley.
Portland, Oregon
The startup competition and housing costs in
San Francisco and Seattle lead many tech workers to Portland. Portland has slowly built up a strong tech reputation over the
years and even tech giants like Apple, IBM and Salesforce have offices here. Outside
of economic factors like affordable housing, many people choose to move to
Oregon for its vibrant music scene, diverse foods, and less rainy weather than
Seattle. The hit show Portlandia no doubt helped with Oregon’s popularity too.
The Southwest
Los Angeles, California
Many Bay Area startups relocated to L.A’s
Venice Beach and Santa Monica resulting in the area gaining a new nickname: Silicon Beach. As
expected, the tech growth attracted many venture capitalists’ attention with a
reported 1.6 billion in new VC investments in L.A. and Southern California
based on stats from PricewaterCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Additionally, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and media giants like
Walt Disney and Time Warner all have offices in L.A. More affordable housing
than the Bay Area, warmer weather, ample surfing opportunities and Hollywood
all make L.A. a very appealing place for many startups.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah experienced tremendous tech growth last
year with computer science, manufacturing, life sciences, energy development
and more all in hot demand. The strong job growth means venture capital
investment has been through the roof. According to Inc., Utah was the only tech hub to top Silicon Valley in average
investment amount per deal last year. Lifestyle factors that attract people
here include the breathtaking winter mountains, a huge Delta airline terminal
for spontaneous getaway trips, great beer, light traffic and affordable
housing.
Phoenix, Arizona
One of Phoenix’s biggest advantages as a tech
hub outside California involves its proximity to the Bay Area. Airplane flights
less than two hours away allow many tech companies like BOCA’s client Gigya to open a second office there.
Many startups praise Arizona for its business-friendly climate, which offers cheap
office space, very low tax rates and a strong job training grant program. Other
advantages include warmer weather, recruiting future tech workers from the two
famous college universities and a tech sector that’s not as crowded as Silicon
Valley.
Austin, Texas
The giant state of Texas has established itself
as more than just a home for SXSW, the Dallas Cowboys and King of the Hill. The tech economy continues to thrive and shows no
signs of slowing down anytime soon. It also helps that Google made a
substantial investment in Austin as a Google Tech Hub Network and chose
Austin as its second broadband Google Fiber location. Samsung also made a $4
billion investment in the 30-year-old semiconductor and software industry
that’s helped Austin prosper. Besides strong support from venture capitalists,
the low housing make the city a great place to raise and family and the unique
cultures makes it a good place to retire.
Stay tuned for part two, which covers big
tech spots in the Northeast, Southeast, and other niche tech spots that may
surprise you.
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