USA Today ranks Denver/Boulder as a top 10 City for tech startups

August 30, 2012

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Last week, USA Today ran a story on the top 10 cities for tech startups. Using data from the National Venture Capital Association, Denver/Boulder came in as number nine with $584.6 million invested in 85 companies throughout 2011.

Here's a quick look at why USA Today thinks our region is one of the nation's top places for tech entreprenuers:

"The Mile High City and nearby Boulder have been startup magnets for years, thanks to Internet household names such as Mapquest (acquired by AOL in 2000) and photo-sharing site Photobucket, the second-most-visited online photo site. Boulder-based incubator TechStars takes on 50 companies a year and has an $80 million fund for startups, while Foundry Group invests up to $225 million."

The article mirrors a recent Denver Business Journal piece which highlights how Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) is slowly becoming a technology hub with 13 companies migrating to downtown in recent months.

Given this recent, timely news, we decided to speak with some of our very own tech stars, each of whom were recently featured in the 2012 Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies, about why they think Metro Denver exces as a high-tech hub:

• ReadyTalk is a 150-employee company that creates web and audio conferencing services for businesses. While the entire executive team is originally from Colorado, Dan King, CEO, said they chose to locate in the LoDo neighborhood in order to draw from the region's wide talent pool.
  
  "Colorado is an awesome place for tech companies," King said. "Denver is growing a critical mass of technology companies and simultaneously attracting a vibrant, young tech workforce."

• The CEO of SparkFun, Nathan Seidle, started his online retail company, which sells electronic project pieces such as resistors and LEDs, humidity sensors and LCD screens, while he was junior at the University of Colorado Boulder. COO, Trevor Zylstra, said it just makes sense to keep the SparkFun headquarters grounded in a community with a solid tech foundation.
  
  "People in this area typically have easy access to new information and have an adventurous spirit, so they are willing and able to try new things and experiment," he said. "There are also plenty of opportunities to cross paths with people from different backgrounds and professions. Our good food, good music and good brews help provide the perfect atmosphere for conversation and collaboration."

We always knew our region was full of tech-savvy folks; we do after all have second-highest number of college graduates per capita in the U.S. in our state. It's just nice to see others taking notice as well!