DC Ranks #11 (Again) in Best Global Startup Ecosystems List

Photo by Andra C Taylor Jr on Unsplash

Great piece from Technical.ly today on how DC held its ground as one of the top startup ecosystems in the world!

https://technical.ly/dc/2021/09/22/startup-genome-report-11/

My Thoughts on what makes DC great for startups:

1. We’ve got universities great for innovation and entrepreneurship (JHTV, UMD, Georgetown)
2. We’ve got the spending power of the Federal government with programs like SBIR / STTR
3. While not as active as NYC or SF, we’re trending upwards in terms of exits

How do we improve?

1. We need even more connectedness. The DMV innovation is limited by geography where MD, DC, and VA are all split up when in reality people live, work, and move across the state boundaries.

2. We need more awareness. So many innovators and entrepreneurs are still largely unaware of all the opportunities. We need something like a huge subway map that makes it super easy to navigate this innovation ecosystem. We need some sort of product but also a concierge service.

3. We need policies that encourage innovation. Where I live, I see a lot of vacant office space. Create places where startups, investors, and entrepreneurs can meet on a regular basis.

Here’s a link to the full report: https://startupgenome.com/report/gser2021