WSJ Article on Chicago's Startup Scene

The WSJ article published the other day about Chicago’s startup scene is a great sign that the movement here is started to get noticed by investors across the country. According to the article, last year startups in Chicago raised $654mm in VC funding, which represented a 40% increase compared to 2010. While this is still a relatively small amount compared to NY and Silicon Valley, the growth in the startup scene in Chicago is still pretty astonishing.

Growth in Chicago Startup Scene

Here’s a great infographic that shows the dramatic increase in the Chicago startup scene over the last two years. I moved to Chicago in July 2011 and I could see the dramatic momentum and growth that was building up in this community. Before I moved here, Technori Pitches hadn’t started yet – and now they sell out the full 500 seat Chase Auditorium. Healthbox, the second healthcare-focused startup accelerator, was just launching and I had the opportunity to attend the first few events. Other new developments in the startup community include 1871, the startup co-working space, and the FireStarter Fund, the newest angel investing group in Chicago. It’s clear that the rest of the country is also realizing the growth in startups here in Chicago, since Brad Feld, founder of Foundry Group and TechStars, recently mentioned it in his blog as well. It's a very exciting time to live in Chicago and watch this community continue to grow!