What 10 years of data tells us about growing a new startup ecosystem:
𝟭) 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟯
It's Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston. That's the medal podium for a full decade, with the Bay Area holding the top spot in increasingly dominant fashion lately.
𝟮) 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
Austin is a major success story in venture ecosystem terms. It was on the back half of the top 10 a decade ago, but strong investment over the prior 5 years has the city in spot number 4 for 2025. The ecosystem sits on twin pillars of SaaS and Hardware, but shows up across many sectors.
𝟯) 𝗠𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
Miami shot up to prominence (top 5!) on the back of a fintech/crypto boom in 2022-era. But as that particular bubble popped, Miami has fallen back in the ranks. Maybe the ecosystem needs more than one pillar industry?
𝟰) 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?
Chicago. Philly. Atlanta. Salt Lake. Research Triangle. Dallas. All are playing in the 10-15 spaces. Which of them can cement status in the top 10 more permanently?
#seed #seriesA #founders #startups
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