US startup cities
61 metros where founders raise and funds write checks. Open a city hub for venture firms and startups in our directory — linked to entity pages, not a naked name dump.
Also browse all funds · all startups · NYC directory
West
| City | State | Thesis | Funds | Startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | CA | Frontier AI, consumer internet, and enterprise platforms — densest US venture capital. | 32 | 372 |
| Los Angeles | CA | Aerospace, defense, consumer, and entertainment tech across LA County. | 8 | 41 |
| Seattle | WA | Enterprise SaaS, cloud, and AI talent gravity from Amazon and Microsoft. | 13 | 19 |
| Denver / Boulder | CO | Climate, outdoor/consumer, and enterprise with Front Range talent. | 6 | 4 |
| San Diego | CA | Biotech, defense, and wireless — UCSD + Navy + Torrey Pines corridor. | 6 | 6 |
| Salt Lake City | UT | Silicon Slopes SaaS, fintech, and outdoor/consumer brands. | 5 | 3 |
| Portland | OR | Hardware, climate, and design-led consumer/enterprise. | 8 | 6 |
| Phoenix | AZ | Semiconductors, climate/real estate tech, and remote-friendly SaaS. | 7 | 6 |
| Las Vegas | NV | Hospitality tech, logistics, and tax-friendly company formation. | 6 | 3 |
| Boise | ID | Semiconductor (Micron orbit), outdoor brands, and remote SaaS. | 6 | 6 |
| Sacramento | CA | Govtech, agtech (UC Davis), and Central Valley enterprise. | 9 | 7 |
| Orange County | CA | Defense (Anduril orbit), medtech, and OC enterprise/consumer. | 7 | 6 |
| Santa Barbara | CA | Deep tech and climate hardware with UCSB research density. | 6 | 4 |
| Albuquerque | NM | National labs spillover — quantum, space, and energy tech. | 6 | 4 |
| Tucson | AZ | Optics, astronomy-adjacent tech, and UA research commercialization. | 6 | 5 |
| Honolulu | HI | Climate, defense/Pacific, tourism tech, and Asia-Pacific bridge. | 6 | 4 |
| Reno | NV | Advanced manufacturing, batteries, and Nevada industrial tech. | 3 | 4 |
South
| City | State | Thesis | Funds | Startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | TX | Hard tech, defense, energy, and crypto with Texas cost and talent advantages. | 8 | 14 |
| Miami | FL | LatAm gateway, fintech, and crypto with growing NYC/SF dual-HQ capital. | 6 | 4 |
| Atlanta | GA | Southeast logistics, fintech, and enterprise with national capital inbound. | 5 | 7 |
| Raleigh–Durham | NC | Research Triangle biotech, software, and university spinouts. | 2 | 4 |
| Charlotte | NC | Banking/fintech corridor with Southeast enterprise buyers. | 6 | 7 |
| Nashville | TN | Health services tech, music/media tech, and logistics. | 9 | 5 |
| Houston | TX | Energy transition, industrials, and space/medical center spinouts. | 9 | 6 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | TX | Enterprise SaaS, fintech, and logistics with large corporate HQ base. | 7 | 4 |
| San Antonio | TX | Cyber (military), healthcare, and Texas enterprise. | 7 | 4 |
| Tampa Bay | FL | Fintech, insurance, and Florida enterprise outside Miami. | 7 | 3 |
| Orlando | FL | Simulation, defense training, tourism tech, and UCF pipeline. | 7 | 2 |
| New Orleans | LA | Climate resilience, media, and Gulf industrials digitalization. | 7 | 3 |
| Richmond | VA | Fintech/insurance and mid-Atlantic enterprise between DC and Carolinas. | 7 | 3 |
| Louisville | KY | Logistics (UPS orbit), health services, and bourbon/CPG tech. | 3 | 4 |
| Memphis | TN | Logistics (FedEx), biotech, and music/media tech. | 6 | 4 |
| Oklahoma City | OK | Energy services tech and aerospace/defense adjacent. | 6 | 4 |
| Charleston | SC | Software, tourism tech, and Southeast coastal enterprise. | 3 | 4 |
| Birmingham | AL | Healthcare services tech and Southeast digital health. | 10 | 6 |
| Chattanooga | TN | Gigabit infrastructure, outdoor brands, and manufacturing tech. | 3 | 4 |
| Jacksonville | FL | Logistics, insurance, and Florida North enterprise. | 9 | 5 |
Midwest
| City | State | Thesis | Funds | Startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | IL | Midwest enterprise, fintech, and biotech with ARCH and national capital. | 10 | 8 |
| Detroit | MI | Mobility, manufacturing tech, and automotive supply-chain software. | 7 | 4 |
| Ann Arbor | MI | University of Michigan deep tech, health, and enterprise spinouts. | 7 | 3 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul | MN | Medtech, retail tech, and enterprise software with Fortune HQ density. | 3 | 4 |
| Indianapolis | IN | Logistics, sports tech, and Midwest enterprise SaaS. | 7 | 4 |
| Columbus | OH | Insurance tech, retail, and Ohio State talent pipeline. | 7 | 3 |
| Cincinnati | OH | CPG, retail tech, and corporate venture around Fortune HQs. | 7 | 3 |
| Cleveland | OH | Healthcare systems innovation and industrial tech. | 6 | 3 |
| Kansas City | MO | Animal health, logistics, and enterprise software. | 7 | 4 |
| St. Louis | MO | Agtech, plant science, and biotech around Corteva/Bayer corridor. | 7 | 3 |
| Madison | WI | UW research spinouts in biotech, ag, and enterprise. | 8 | 3 |
| Milwaukee | WI | Water tech, industrials, and Midwest manufacturing software. | 8 | 3 |
| Omaha | NE | Fintech/payments and insurance tech with Berkshire-era capital culture. | 4 | 4 |
| Des Moines | IA | Insurance tech and agtech serving Midwest corporates. | 3 | 4 |
Northeast
| City | State | Thesis | Funds | Startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | NY | Fintech, media, enterprise SaaS, and applied AI with Wall Street + media buyer density. | 76 | 123 |
| Boston / Cambridge | MA | Biotech, life sciences, and enterprise software anchored by universities and hospitals. | 8 | 26 |
| Washington, DC | DC | Govtech, defense, and cyber selling into federal buyers; In-Q-Tel anchor. | 8 | 6 |
| Philadelphia | PA | Cell/gene therapy, digital health, and edtech around Penn/CHOP. | 6 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | Robotics, autonomy, and AI research spinouts from CMU. | 8 | 3 |
| Baltimore | MD | Johns Hopkins health/cyber and applied research commercialization. | 8 | 5 |
| Providence | RI | Design, robotics, and Brown/RISD creative-technical founders. | 7 | 3 |
| Newark / Jersey City | NJ | NYC-adjacent fintech, logistics, and pharma corridor founders. | 3 | 6 |
| Buffalo | NY | Life sciences and industrial revitalization startups. | 11 | 6 |
| Rochester | NY | Optics, imaging, and University of Rochester / RIT spinouts. | 6 | 5 |