Silicon Valley State Of Mind: Startup Hubs Nationwide Adopt 'Silicon' Moniker

It's often said that Silicon Valley is more than just a place -- it's a state of mind.

As such, the entrepreneurial mecca, defined as the southern half of the San Francisco Bay Area, is now inspiring startup hubs across the United States. There's "Silicorn Valley" in Des Moines, Iowa, "Silicon Prairie" in Omaha, Neb., and "Silicon Strip" in Las Vegas, where Zappos, the online shopping juggernaut, bases its headquarters.

In fact, nearly 80 percent of all U.S. startup investments in 2011 made by individuals, also known angel investors, occurred outside of California, according to a recent study. The Great Lakes region, including Ohio and Wisconsin, among other states, accounted for 15.9 percent of all angel investing in 2011. New England, led mainly by Boston, nabbed 14.6 percent of all investments. Southeastern regions of the U.S. accounted for 12 percent. And New York offered up roughly 7 percent of all the angel investment dollars last year.

The mixture of hungry entrepreneurs, giddy investors and, most often, a local research university, has produced more than a few pockets of innovation that have adopted the "Silicon" moniker.

Is there a startup scene in your hometown? If so, add it to our list:

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Comments

[caseyjohnellis]

02:45 AM on 03/28/2012

You forgot Silicon Beach in Australia... Sure we're only little but we are doing big things :)
http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?pli=1

[Syllogizer]

02:40 PM on 03/27/2012

Russia has been trying to build their own Silicon Valleys, too. It has not gone well. None of these people, not over there, not even here, really appreciate what it took to build that special culture in California's real Silicon Valley. It really becomes clear from reading "The HP Way" how it took a special confluence of a LOT of factors: the two great universities, the many offspring of Fairchild, the post WWII boom, even the weather and geography all worked together to make Silicon Valley what it is.

[kaycubed]

10:18 AM on 03/27/2012

The idea of simply adding "silicon" to the name of a neighborhood in order to imply some similarity to Silicon Valley is somewhat ironic in its simplicity. Startups are supposed to be defining innovation and new ideas and by copying a name it seems to go against the grain of ingenuity.

K³

[1849]

03:25 AM on 03/27/2012

I think Silicon Valley is a state of mind more than a place on a map.

[SueZbell]

01:27 AM on 03/27/2012

Another bubble to burst--w/economy in toilet, just who do they think are going to be able to buy this stuff?

[Republicanistan]

10:15 PM on 03/26/2012

ROFL.

What makes Silicon Valley what it is, is a Critical Mass. This means there are thousands of engineers and whiz kids and Venture Ghouls running around trying to make their first Billion here in Norcal.

Until it all comes together no one is gonna move somewhere where they are 2000 miles from their next job (lol Iowa).

Here, they are 5 miles from their next job. See? They don't have to move.

[John Crane]

06:27 PM on 03/26/2012

I grew up in Portland, OR, the City of Roses. That nickname is fine with most people. There are electronics companies there, but don't be pretentious and don't try to be anything other than yourself.

I now live in Austin, TX. It's even worse here. Austin doesn't know whether to be another Nashville, another Portland, another Seattle, or another Silicon Valley. "Desperately seeking an identity", is more like it.