7 ms·

Washington, D.C. has some amazing startups http://started.in/dc

47 points by smedawar 13y ago

smedawar 13y ago
Today was the launch. Three profiles today and one each week, from here on out. I love DC's startup scene!
Dave_Rosenthal 13y ago
Not sure if joke... A slightly larger (but still grossly incomplete) list: http://proudlymadeindc.com/ http://proudlymadeindc.com/ And another: https://angel.co/washington-dc https://angel.co/washington-dc
- smedawar 13y ago
  Thanks for the comment Dave! We love both of those resources, but we're trying to do something a little different. Our thought is that it's easier to learn about all the startups in a community one at a time. Each week we'll post just one startup and get a little more in-depth than a repository of startups. It's proven to be valuable in Seattle and Atlanta, so we're hoping we can find our spot right next to resources like proudlymadeindc.com. If we don't provide enough value or you see room for improvement, please contact us at any time. We're always open to ideas.
dakridge 13y ago
I will be adding my company (https://performyard.com/ https://performyard.com/) to this list, we are in Rosslyn.
- smedawar 13y ago
  Awesome! Can't wait! dc.started.in/apply/
mattgreenrocks 13y ago
Nice job, will be checking in periodically. Aside: when will LivingSocial be there? ;)
- smedawar 13y ago
  Anyone can apply. :) I'm sure they'd make the cut. dc.started.in/apply/
- mikeevans 13y ago
  Just filled it out for us!
conorgil145 13y ago
No longer a startup [1], but OPower was founded in 2007 in Arlington, VA (which is right across the river from DC) [2]. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlington-based-energy-software-provider-opower-will-debut-public-shares-friday/2014/04/04/078e7ef4-bba6-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlin... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower
- smedawar 13y ago
  Awesome! Send them our way! dc.started.in/apply/
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
conorgil145 13y ago
I'll tell our founder to add our company, Virtru! We are in DuPont/Adams Morgan. Simple encrypted email from your existing email address (eg, Gmail!): https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru
- smedawar 13y ago
  Please do. Great idea by the way!
mrfusion 13y ago
Tangential topic .. If there are enough of us, anyone interesting in getting a meetup going? (BTW I'd vote for Northern VA for some of the meet up sites)
- velikos 13y ago
  I'm up for this, too! Live in DC, work in Arlington, so either one would be preferable.
- Edmond 13y ago
  there's an HN meetup group though it's been dormant for a while: http://www.meetup.com/JoinHNDC/ http://www.meetup.com/JoinHNDC/
  - amr 13y ago
    +1 for NoVa (I am in Arlington)
- IpxqwidxG 13y ago
  +1 for DCHN meet up!
- mikeevans 13y ago
  Definitely interested in reviving the existing one, but preferably in DC. :)
- moron4hire 13y ago
  Registering my interest. I'm in Alexandria.
- rickr 13y ago
  Hello All - Northern VA resident here and I've been trying to get a bit more 'out there'. If we've got a bunch of people out in northern VA interested in meeting up on April 30th there is a launch party for a new coworking space in Reston: https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party Is anyone else interested in going? Also, it's a little more formal but there is a startup weekend in DC: http://dc.startupweekend.org http://dc.startupweekend.org
thecodemonkey 13y ago
We're [1] also DC-based :) [1] http://geocod.io http://geocod.io
- smedawar 13y ago
  Head on over to: DC.started.in/apply/ We'd love to talk to you!
- zachcowell 13y ago
  Been using geocod.io for a few months now and it's one of the easier geocoding services I've worked with. Keep up the good work!
  - thecodemonkey 13y ago
    Thanks Zach! We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline :)
zachcowell 13y ago
There's been a lot of buzz about SocialRadar around town. I'm surprised no one has mentioned them yet http://www.socialradar.com/ http://www.socialradar.com/
- smedawar 13y ago
  We reached out to them before our launch. We'd love to see them on the site.
IpxqwidxG 13y ago
Alright, if it's about amazing startups of DC then please add https://bubbl.in https://bubbl.in to this list too ... :) We're all about flipbooks, started in 2014 at Reston area.
- smedawar 13y ago
  :) Head on over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll get you queued up.
segmondy 13y ago
There are lots of amazing startups in many places. Ann Arbor in Michigan has amazing startups and has started amazing companies. http://madeina2.com http://madeina2.com Even Detroit has amazing start ups.
- nooron 13y ago
  I'm over in Detroit at Core but I used to run my own in A2. Glad to see folks representing. Are you at one of the companies on MadeinA2?
  - segmondy 13y ago
    I'm not in A2, I'm in Detroit area. Not with a startup, maybe one of these days tho. :)
- smedawar 13y ago
  I agree! We're launching city/region sites around the US to profile each of the amazing startups around the country and eventually the world. We're always looking for people who are interested in having a site launched in their area. Contact us if you are (or you know someone who is) interested: http://started.in/bring-started-in-to-your-city/ http://started.in/bring-started-in-to-your-city/ EDIT: Sorry. I didn't see or click on the link before commenting. That's awesome. We love resources like madeina2.com!
- bmoresbest55 13y ago
  Completely agree. It would be nice to startup in SF or NYC but everyone has an Internet connection. It is as simple as building a product that people want(not simple, almost impossible), putting it online(simple at first) and setting up shop in you favorite place to live(depends on the person). All that to say I agree...
- mindcrime 13y ago
  There are lots of amazing startups in many places. Yep. We have quite a group of amazing startups here in the Triangle area of North Carolina as well: http://www.downtowndurhamstartups.com/content/startup+directory/8880 http://www.downtowndurhamstartups.com/content/startup+direct... http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/index http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/index http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/map http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/map There's also an RTP "Hackers and Founders" group, although we haven't been meeting much lately. But if you're in the area and interested, join the Meetup and/or give me a shout. http://www.meetup.com/RTP-Hackers-Founders/ http://www.meetup.com/RTP-Hackers-Founders/
wtvanhest 13y ago
If you are in DC and raising money, I would highly recommend you talk with Dingman Center Angels at the University of Maryland. They have financed a lot of companies over the years and most of which have no affiliation to the school. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-center-entrepreneurship/initiatives-programs/dingman-center-angels-2 http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-center...
rayiner 13y ago
I grew up in the D.C. area, and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far as food/culture goes, it definitely has a much stronger tech scene than people give it credit for. DC has a very well-established base of technology talent with a lot of domain-specific knowledge. The talent doesn't take the form of hot-shot 22 year old Stanford grads, but more very smart people that have been working at Raytheon, etc, and have deep knowledge of control systems, AI, image processing, etc. It's a different pool of talent than what VC-funded startups are typically looking at, but I think it's one that has a lot of potential for companies who want to work on "hard" problems that require advances in different problem domains. The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is that it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia Tech and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs might be CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike.
- SeanLuke 13y ago
  > and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far as food/culture goes Culture, maybe. Food though? DC's food scene is very surprisingly strong, particularly in new-immigrant ethnic cuisine. For some cuisines (notably Ethiopian) it's the best in the country. And of course, it's long been ground zero for the gourmet hamburger craze. > The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is that it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia Tech and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs might be CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike. That is an astonishingly high bar. CMU is regarded by many to be the best CS program in the world. Maryland's CS program is extremely strong: it usually hovers in the low teens nationwide. You forgot GMU and UMBC, both quite strong programs (I can personally vouch for GMU).
  - Smirnoff 13y ago
    I can vouch for UMBC. UMBC has a strong talent pool. Sadly, many CS grads end up working in cyber security in VA, MD or DC. Although, I do personally know a few who got jobs at Google and Zynga. I do agree that startups in DC lack young people. I've tried to go to two hacker/startup meetups in DC. Both times, it sucked. These hackers/startups guys were too old for me. It just didn't click and I left.
almosnow 13y ago
Is there a problem with the page? I only see 3 startups, and they are hardly amazing...
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
raffi 13y ago
I've lived in DC for nearly five years and I run a software company here. Here are my thoughts: 1. The quality of life here is very high. I believe this is probably one of the best places in the US for young professionals (its reputation hasn't caught up with it yet). * We have a strong bike sharing program and decent biking infrastructure. I'm not a biker and I use this most days now. * I recently got rid of my car. I simply didn't need it. I can walk in four directions to neighborhoods with great restaurants. I also have several grocery stores within walking distance. * The North West part of the city is very clean. * I don't own a car. So long as I live here--I will not need a car. * When I want to go running, Rock Creek Park is nearby. Same for the National Mall. If I want to go Kayaking on the Potomac, it's a longer walk, but I can hit a Dept. of Parks and Recreation boathouse and get a kayak. * DC has a short-ish winter. We get one and it gets cold. Some days we get snow the city doesn't know what to do with. Overall though, January and February are the worst of it. Sometimes we get hints of Spring in March. April, Spring is usually here full bore. Spring and Fall here are beautiful. I'm from MI and I lived in Syracuse, NY. I judge weather through this lens. 2. DC is very expensive. I incorporated in DC and I suspect the city took a cue from the Spanish government in terms of forms and prerequisite forms and licenses one must acquire to start a business. They claim they're pro-startup. I don't see it. I just see a bureaucracy that nickels and dimes small businesses. Taxes are high too. 3. For my sector (cyber security) and the types of customers I have; DC is the perfect home base. I'm close to my customers and potential strategic partners. We even have a cyber security related accelerator in Northern Virginia. I see the concentration of folks and businesses in my industry as a big plus. 4. I travel a lot for my business. If I need to go to NYC--I take the Accela and I'm there in three hours. If I need to get into the suburbs of MD, I use the MARC train. If I need to fly, I have three airports to choose from. The closest airport (Reagan) is a 15-20 minute cab ride. 5. We have had a massive growth of startup and coworking spaces in the past two years. I don't know where they all came from--but it's insane. If you're looking for semi-affordable office space co-located around other startups--you'll find something here, probably walking distance from where you live. 6. DC benefits from a flood of ambitious folks who want to change the world and start their career here. When I moved here, I expected a scene of lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, and their hanger-ons. It's not like that at all here. This is a very ambitious city with people who work very hard to make things happen. I like its energy and this is probably where I will stay.
grdvnl 13y ago
One list I am aware of for LA is http://represent.la/ http://represent.la/. Are there other websites which provide information on startups in So. Cal?
- smedawar 13y ago
  Builtinla.com does a good job covering the startup scene in LA. They are more news than spotlight though. We're hoping to be down there soon. If you know someone who'd like to curate startup profiles in LA, we'd love to talk with them.
  - grdvnl 12y ago
    I am not aware of anyone. Would love to see this information on LA. Let me know if there is something I can do to help!
hydralist 13y ago
don't forget about Spinnakr! (Spinnakr.com) :)
esamek 13y ago
You guys are missing us, HelloWallet http://www.hellowallet.com http://www.hellowallet.com Been in DC for over 4 years. Have hosted many meetups and we are growing...very very fast. We are based in the West End, off of 22nd and M st NW. We LOVE the DC startup scene. We want to build it out and make it the "Silicon Capital". :-) We're also hiring... http://www.hellowallet.com/about-us/careers/ http://www.hellowallet.com/about-us/careers/
- smedawar 13y ago
  Awesome! We love the DC startup scene, too! Head over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll start the profile process. I look forward to speaking soon!
AndrewKemendo 13y ago
So it sounds like this isn't just limited to D.C. proper based on some of the comments. To me that makes sense because there are a ton of startups and talent in the Beltway - and we all consider ourselves living in "D.C." I am about to take my startup Visidraft full time in September and I know it will be massively helpful to be linked better with the D.C. startup scene - which I am already to an extent. Thanks!
- smedawar 13y ago
  Awesome! You're right. We want to profile startups in the DC area. You don't have to be in DC proper.
bane 13y ago
I'd add that one of the token mistakes out of towners make when setting up shop in "D.C." is to take the name literally. For example, if your target is in the Fed/Defense space, D.C. is paradoxically probably not the best place to set up an office. Good luck getting people from McLean, Reston or Springfield or even Ft. Meade to want to come to a meeting at your office, no/expensive parking, mass transit doesn't work for most places outside of D.C. (and no bureaucrat worth their departmental budget is going to take it anyway). The Baltimore/D.C. metro area should be considered as a whole (about 10 million people!) and for the obvious benefits of being near your customers or for the synergy effects of being near like-businesses, you have to get to know the area and should setup shop in those places if you can. Nobody in the Fed/Defense Space is impressed that you set up an office in a trendy D.C. neighborhood. Want to work high tech? The Dulles Tech corridor is where you should look. That's Virginia and goes 30 miles away from the city. It's the Silicon Valley of the East and it's slowly getting setup on the Metro system. Want to work bio? You want Southern Maryland. I've lived in the D.C. area for a very long time and I see this mistake repeated again and again. D.C. means the entire region. D.C. (the city) is a very different thing. It also means that you're constantly dealing with the three territories here, VA, MD and D.C. and things are different in each of them, even if nominally they're one big area. The other one I see is that everybody from out of the area underestimates the intensity and vagueness of D.C. traffic. I've seen a long list of West Coasters, who think they understand traffic from around the Bay Area slowly slip into madness when it comes to facing and dealing with D.C. traffic. It means that you can't setup a long string of meetings all over the area and expect that Google Maps's estimate of 15 minutes will make any kind of sense. On one day it'll be right, and the next it'll turn into an hour and a half slog and you'll blow through your next 3 meetings just trying to get to them. D.C. is also very much perception based. You're either with the in-crowd or you're an outsider. And these two mistakes mark you as an outsider, a rookie and not a player to very many of the big organizations you might be wanting to do business with.

47 points by smedawar 13y ago

Today was the launch. Three profiles today and one each week, from here on out. I love DC's startup scene!

Not sure if joke... A slightly larger (but still grossly incomplete) list: http://proudlymadeindc.com/ http://proudlymadeindc.com/ And another: https://angel.co/washington-dc https://angel.co/washington-dc

smedawar 13y ago
Thanks for the comment Dave! We love both of those resources, but we're trying to do something a little different. Our thought is that it's easier to learn about all the startups in a community one at a time. Each week we'll post just one startup and get a little more in-depth than a repository of startups. It's proven to be valuable in Seattle and Atlanta, so we're hoping we can find our spot right next to resources like proudlymadeindc.com. If we don't provide enough value or you see room for improvement, please contact us at any time. We're always open to ideas.

dakridge 13y ago

I will be adding my company (https://performyard.com/ https://performyard.com/) to this list, we are in Rosslyn.

smedawar 13y ago
Awesome! Can't wait! dc.started.in/apply/

mattgreenrocks 13y ago

Nice job, will be checking in periodically. Aside: when will LivingSocial be there? ;)

smedawar 13y ago
Anyone can apply. :) I'm sure they'd make the cut. dc.started.in/apply/
mikeevans 13y ago
Just filled it out for us!

conorgil145 13y ago

No longer a startup [1], but OPower was founded in 2007 in Arlington, VA (which is right across the river from DC) [2]. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlington-based-energy-software-provider-opower-will-debut-public-shares-friday/2014/04/04/078e7ef4-bba6-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlin... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower

smedawar 13y ago
Awesome! Send them our way! dc.started.in/apply/
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

conorgil145 13y ago

I'll tell our founder to add our company, Virtru! We are in DuPont/Adams Morgan. Simple encrypted email from your existing email address (eg, Gmail!): https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru

smedawar 13y ago
Please do. Great idea by the way!

mrfusion 13y ago

Tangential topic .. If there are enough of us, anyone interesting in getting a meetup going? (BTW I'd vote for Northern VA for some of the meet up sites)

velikos 13y ago
I'm up for this, too! Live in DC, work in Arlington, so either one would be preferable.
Edmond 13y ago
there's an HN meetup group though it's been dormant for a while: http://www.meetup.com/JoinHNDC/ http://www.meetup.com/JoinHNDC/
- amr 13y ago
  +1 for NoVa (I am in Arlington)
IpxqwidxG 13y ago
+1 for DCHN meet up!
mikeevans 13y ago
Definitely interested in reviving the existing one, but preferably in DC. :)
moron4hire 13y ago
Registering my interest. I'm in Alexandria.
rickr 13y ago
Hello All - Northern VA resident here and I've been trying to get a bit more 'out there'. If we've got a bunch of people out in northern VA interested in meeting up on April 30th there is a launch party for a new coworking space in Reston: https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party Is anyone else interested in going? Also, it's a little more formal but there is a startup weekend in DC: http://dc.startupweekend.org http://dc.startupweekend.org

thecodemonkey 13y ago

We're [1] also DC-based :) [1] http://geocod.io http://geocod.io

smedawar 13y ago
Head on over to: DC.started.in/apply/ We'd love to talk to you!
zachcowell 13y ago
Been using geocod.io for a few months now and it's one of the easier geocoding services I've worked with. Keep up the good work!
- thecodemonkey 13y ago
  Thanks Zach! We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline :)

zachcowell 13y ago

There's been a lot of buzz about SocialRadar around town. I'm surprised no one has mentioned them yet http://www.socialradar.com/ http://www.socialradar.com/

smedawar 13y ago
We reached out to them before our launch. We'd love to see them on the site.

IpxqwidxG 13y ago

Alright, if it's about amazing startups of DC then please add https://bubbl.in https://bubbl.in to this list too ... :) We're all about flipbooks, started in 2014 at Reston area.

smedawar 13y ago
:) Head on over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll get you queued up.

segmondy 13y ago

There are lots of amazing startups in many places. Ann Arbor in Michigan has amazing startups and has started amazing companies. http://madeina2.com http://madeina2.com Even Detroit has amazing start ups.

nooron 13y ago
I'm over in Detroit at Core but I used to run my own in A2. Glad to see folks representing. Are you at one of the companies on MadeinA2?
- segmondy 13y ago
  I'm not in A2, I'm in Detroit area. Not with a startup, maybe one of these days tho. :)
smedawar 13y ago
I agree! We're launching city/region sites around the US to profile each of the amazing startups around the country and eventually the world. We're always looking for people who are interested in having a site launched in their area. Contact us if you are (or you know someone who is) interested: http://started.in/bring-started-in-to-your-city/ http://started.in/bring-started-in-to-your-city/ EDIT: Sorry. I didn't see or click on the link before commenting. That's awesome. We love resources like madeina2.com!
bmoresbest55 13y ago
Completely agree. It would be nice to startup in SF or NYC but everyone has an Internet connection. It is as simple as building a product that people want(not simple, almost impossible), putting it online(simple at first) and setting up shop in you favorite place to live(depends on the person). All that to say I agree...
mindcrime 13y ago
There are lots of amazing startups in many places. Yep. We have quite a group of amazing startups here in the Triangle area of North Carolina as well: http://www.downtowndurhamstartups.com/content/startup+directory/8880 http://www.downtowndurhamstartups.com/content/startup+direct... http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/index http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/index http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/map http://www.triangulatenc.com/companies/map There's also an RTP "Hackers and Founders" group, although we haven't been meeting much lately. But if you're in the area and interested, join the Meetup and/or give me a shout. http://www.meetup.com/RTP-Hackers-Founders/ http://www.meetup.com/RTP-Hackers-Founders/

wtvanhest 13y ago

If you are in DC and raising money, I would highly recommend you talk with Dingman Center Angels at the University of Maryland. They have financed a lot of companies over the years and most of which have no affiliation to the school. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-center-entrepreneurship/initiatives-programs/dingman-center-angels-2 http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-center...

rayiner 13y ago

I grew up in the D.C. area, and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far as food/culture goes, it definitely has a much stronger tech scene than people give it credit for. DC has a very well-established base of technology talent with a lot of domain-specific knowledge. The talent doesn't take the form of hot-shot 22 year old Stanford grads, but more very smart people that have been working at Raytheon, etc, and have deep knowledge of control systems, AI, image processing, etc. It's a different pool of talent than what VC-funded startups are typically looking at, but I think it's one that has a lot of potential for companies who want to work on "hard" problems that require advances in different problem domains. The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is that it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia Tech and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs might be CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike.

SeanLuke 13y ago
> and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far as food/culture goes Culture, maybe. Food though? DC's food scene is very surprisingly strong, particularly in new-immigrant ethnic cuisine. For some cuisines (notably Ethiopian) it's the best in the country. And of course, it's long been ground zero for the gourmet hamburger craze. > The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is that it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia Tech and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs might be CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike. That is an astonishingly high bar. CMU is regarded by many to be the best CS program in the world. Maryland's CS program is extremely strong: it usually hovers in the low teens nationwide. You forgot GMU and UMBC, both quite strong programs (I can personally vouch for GMU).
- Smirnoff 13y ago
  I can vouch for UMBC. UMBC has a strong talent pool. Sadly, many CS grads end up working in cyber security in VA, MD or DC. Although, I do personally know a few who got jobs at Google and Zynga. I do agree that startups in DC lack young people. I've tried to go to two hacker/startup meetups in DC. Both times, it sucked. These hackers/startups guys were too old for me. It just didn't click and I left.

almosnow 13y ago

Is there a problem with the page? I only see 3 startups, and they are hardly amazing...

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

raffi 13y ago

I've lived in DC for nearly five years and I run a software company here. Here are my thoughts: 1. The quality of life here is very high. I believe this is probably one of the best places in the US for young professionals (its reputation hasn't caught up with it yet). * We have a strong bike sharing program and decent biking infrastructure. I'm not a biker and I use this most days now. * I recently got rid of my car. I simply didn't need it. I can walk in four directions to neighborhoods with great restaurants. I also have several grocery stores within walking distance. * The North West part of the city is very clean. * I don't own a car. So long as I live here--I will not need a car. * When I want to go running, Rock Creek Park is nearby. Same for the National Mall. If I want to go Kayaking on the Potomac, it's a longer walk, but I can hit a Dept. of Parks and Recreation boathouse and get a kayak. * DC has a short-ish winter. We get one and it gets cold. Some days we get snow the city doesn't know what to do with. Overall though, January and February are the worst of it. Sometimes we get hints of Spring in March. April, Spring is usually here full bore. Spring and Fall here are beautiful. I'm from MI and I lived in Syracuse, NY. I judge weather through this lens. 2. DC is very expensive. I incorporated in DC and I suspect the city took a cue from the Spanish government in terms of forms and prerequisite forms and licenses one must acquire to start a business. They claim they're pro-startup. I don't see it. I just see a bureaucracy that nickels and dimes small businesses. Taxes are high too. 3. For my sector (cyber security) and the types of customers I have; DC is the perfect home base. I'm close to my customers and potential strategic partners. We even have a cyber security related accelerator in Northern Virginia. I see the concentration of folks and businesses in my industry as a big plus. 4. I travel a lot for my business. If I need to go to NYC--I take the Accela and I'm there in three hours. If I need to get into the suburbs of MD, I use the MARC train. If I need to fly, I have three airports to choose from. The closest airport (Reagan) is a 15-20 minute cab ride. 5. We have had a massive growth of startup and coworking spaces in the past two years. I don't know where they all came from--but it's insane. If you're looking for semi-affordable office space co-located around other startups--you'll find something here, probably walking distance from where you live. 6. DC benefits from a flood of ambitious folks who want to change the world and start their career here. When I moved here, I expected a scene of lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, and their hanger-ons. It's not like that at all here. This is a very ambitious city with people who work very hard to make things happen. I like its energy and this is probably where I will stay.

grdvnl 13y ago

One list I am aware of for LA is http://represent.la/ http://represent.la/. Are there other websites which provide information on startups in So. Cal?

smedawar 13y ago
Builtinla.com does a good job covering the startup scene in LA. They are more news than spotlight though. We're hoping to be down there soon. If you know someone who'd like to curate startup profiles in LA, we'd love to talk with them.
- grdvnl 12y ago
  I am not aware of anyone. Would love to see this information on LA. Let me know if there is something I can do to help!

hydralist 13y ago

don't forget about Spinnakr! (Spinnakr.com) :)

esamek 13y ago

You guys are missing us, HelloWallet http://www.hellowallet.com http://www.hellowallet.com Been in DC for over 4 years. Have hosted many meetups and we are growing...very very fast. We are based in the West End, off of 22nd and M st NW. We LOVE the DC startup scene. We want to build it out and make it the "Silicon Capital". :-) We're also hiring... http://www.hellowallet.com/about-us/careers/ http://www.hellowallet.com/about-us/careers/

smedawar 13y ago
Awesome! We love the DC startup scene, too! Head over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll start the profile process. I look forward to speaking soon!

AndrewKemendo 13y ago

So it sounds like this isn't just limited to D.C. proper based on some of the comments. To me that makes sense because there are a ton of startups and talent in the Beltway - and we all consider ourselves living in "D.C." I am about to take my startup Visidraft full time in September and I know it will be massively helpful to be linked better with the D.C. startup scene - which I am already to an extent. Thanks!

smedawar 13y ago
Awesome! You're right. We want to profile startups in the DC area. You don't have to be in DC proper.

bane 13y ago

I'd add that one of the token mistakes out of towners make when setting up shop in "D.C." is to take the name literally. For example, if your target is in the Fed/Defense space, D.C. is paradoxically probably not the best place to set up an office. Good luck getting people from McLean, Reston or Springfield or even Ft. Meade to want to come to a meeting at your office, no/expensive parking, mass transit doesn't work for most places outside of D.C. (and no bureaucrat worth their departmental budget is going to take it anyway). The Baltimore/D.C. metro area should be considered as a whole (about 10 million people!) and for the obvious benefits of being near your customers or for the synergy effects of being near like-businesses, you have to get to know the area and should setup shop in those places if you can. Nobody in the Fed/Defense Space is impressed that you set up an office in a trendy D.C. neighborhood. Want to work high tech? The Dulles Tech corridor is where you should look. That's Virginia and goes 30 miles away from the city. It's the Silicon Valley of the East and it's slowly getting setup on the Metro system. Want to work bio? You want Southern Maryland. I've lived in the D.C. area for a very long time and I see this mistake repeated again and again. D.C. means the entire region. D.C. (the city) is a very different thing. It also means that you're constantly dealing with the three territories here, VA, MD and D.C. and things are different in each of them, even if nominally they're one big area. The other one I see is that everybody from out of the area underestimates the intensity and vagueness of D.C. traffic. I've seen a long list of West Coasters, who think they understand traffic from around the Bay Area slowly slip into madness when it comes to facing and dealing with D.C. traffic. It means that you can't setup a long string of meetings all over the area and expect that Google Maps's estimate of 15 minutes will make any kind of sense. On one day it'll be right, and the next it'll turn into an hour and a half slog and you'll blow through your next 3 meetings just trying to get to them. D.C. is also very much perception based. You're either with the in-crowd or you're an outsider. And these two mistakes mark you as an outsider, a rookie and not a player to very many of the big organizations you might be wanting to do business with.