Tech Momentum Gathers Outside the Silicon Valley and New York City

Think Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1 minute read

May 22, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


City of Bridges

Tupungato / Shutterstock

"It had to happen, but why is it happening now? Secondary tech hubs – outside the orbit of Silicon Valley and New York – are showing undeniable momentum this year," reports Conor Sen.

Sen writes the story after returning from a tour of Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with "venture capitalists and team members from the early-stage venture capital firm Bloomberg Beta" for the third round of the Comeback Cities Tour.

A "confluence of forces" has created this momentum for secondary tech cities, according to Sen, such as closing logistical gaps, the spread of urban amenities (the "Brooklyn-ization of America," as described by Sen), lower costs in non-coastal cities, and signals from tech giants.

"As a result, founders and investors are growing more comfortable with companies being founded and scaled outside of traditional hubs," writes Sen.

"It's not clear right now just how transformative or long-lasting this trend could be for secondary hubs. Business people in both cities talked about challenges they share being in nontraditional tech cities: finding workers with startup rather than traditional corporate experience, founders still being somewhat reliant on getting investors in San Francisco or New York to buy into their stories rather than being able to tap local capital, and a lack of successful startup exits or IPOs that would get the local community to have more confidence in startup ecosystems."

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in Bloomberg

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Rendering of Texas Central high-speed rail train stopped at covered platform in Dallas, Texas

High-Speed Rail Tracker

Smart Cities Dive follows high-speed rail developments around the country

7 seconds ago - Smart Cities Dive

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain