4 TOP REASONS WHY CHICAGO IS BECOMING THE NEW TECH HUB
October 26, 2015
The entrepreneurial spirit in Chicago has never been more alive. Not even a four game sweep, can keep some of Chicago’s brightest minds down. With the emergence of tech startups all across The Windy City, the big moguls from Silicon Valley, and New York are starting to take note.
Here at ParadigmNEXT we are constantly taking the pulse of Chicago’s tech startup community. As Chicago’s tech industries continue to evolve, it is important as a startup, to maximize on all of the great opportunities of living and working out of Chicago have to offer. Below, are some of the reasons we, here at ParadigmNEXT, have come to find Chicago as a major Tech Hub in the country.
Recent Grads Gravitate to Chicago
Spread across the Midwest are some of the nation’s most esteemed universities.Matt Moog, the founder of Built In Chicago, an online resource for tech startups, believes that Chicago has benefited from all the recent grads moving here. “University of Illinois, Purdue, University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, etc. are all graduating really qualified engineering students, marketing students, entrepreneur students etc.,” said Moog.
Chicago has become a hot destination for recent grads not only for the low cost of living, but also because it has a rich industry diversity. Nick Reasner, ParadigmNEXT’s Business Developer Manager, moved here after attending Indiana University, because Chicago presented opportunities other major cities did not. “Chicago is the best of both coasts and offers tremendous opportunities for both small and large companies.”
Big City with a Small-Town Feel
Seasoned vets in the tech startup community are collaborating with eager entrepreneurs 
to help bring their vision into the forefront. A staple in the coworking space is 1871, and CEO Howard Tullman has plans to expand the community even more. Rather than only focusing on the tech and digital industries, Tullman sees the potential in all types of startups. “In the three years that we’ve been around what’s changed is that there are no businesses left that aren’t technology enabled,” said Tullman. 1871 has already introduced companies of Food, Education, Finance and Healthcare, and plan to incorporate even more areas after the expansion. 1871 along with the other Chicago office incubators have proved to be a great starting place to grow your build. But, even during off hours, there are online sites that Chicago startups can take advantage of.
to help bring their vision into the forefront. A staple in the coworking space is 1871, and CEO Howard Tullman has plans to expand the community even more. Rather than only focusing on the tech and digital industries, Tullman sees the potential in all types of startups. “In the three years that we’ve been around what’s changed is that there are no businesses left that aren’t technology enabled,” said Tullman. 1871 has already introduced companies of Food, Education, Finance and Healthcare, and plan to incorporate even more areas after the expansion. 1871 along with the other Chicago office incubators have proved to be a great starting place to grow your build. But, even during off hours, there are online sites that Chicago startups can take advantage of.
Through any stage of a startup process, small businesses can find value in Built In. “Built In Chicago should be viewed as a sort of employer branding platform, a way for even the smallest young companies to get out there and get known…a combination of blog posts and profiles and job posts, they [startups] can start to become known to the tech and startup community, as a promising new company,” said Moog.Chicago Startups are Revenue Driven
There has been a trend throughout startups in Chicago. Rather than adapting the B2C (Business to Consumer) structure, companies are more B2B (Business to Business) focused. In Chicago, for the most part, venture capitalists track results by how profitable the company is. The markets of San Francisco, and New York set to establish consumer acquisition, before worrying about making money.
“Entrepreneurs in Chicago aren’t just looking to grow users with revenue being an afterthought; most companies in Chicago are revenue first focused and as such are drawing in great VC’s and Angels that are looking into more financially viable companies,” said Anatoly Nirshberg, ParadigmNEXT’s Managing Director.
ParadigmNEXT has seen promising startups in Chicago, with this exact business
mentality. Proxfinity is revolutionizing the way people connect at career fairs, educational conferences, social events and more. Their founders, Lisa Carrel and Christine Hutchinson have a strong background in B2B, and plan on implementing the same structure with Proxfinity.
mentality. Proxfinity is revolutionizing the way people connect at career fairs, educational conferences, social events and more. Their founders, Lisa Carrel and Christine Hutchinson have a strong background in B2B, and plan on implementing the same structure with Proxfinity.
Page Vault is also committed to building a strong revenue model. Their service
accommodates legal professionals, by archiving web page content. Rapidly growing, Page Vault was recently proud to announce they were nominated for the 2015 Chicago Innovation Awards.
accommodates legal professionals, by archiving web page content. Rapidly growing, Page Vault was recently proud to announce they were nominated for the 2015 Chicago Innovation Awards.Bright Future Ahead
As a Digital Marketing agency, the team at ParadigmNEXT is excited to see the continued growth of Chicago tech. At the core, Chicago is a place for startups to flourish because of all the different factors working in unison. The young talent which fills the city, great mentor relationships and the Chicago business ethics, are only a few of the reason why Chicago is becoming a major tech hub.
“We call this [Chicago] the rise of the rest, and it means that there are many opportunities, plenty of technology, plenty of new business going on…Chicago represents the best place in the country for people to start their businesses,” said Tullman.
By: ParadigmNext https://paradigmnext.com
ParadigmNEXT, Inc. is an innovative and creative Chicago digital marketing agency providing a wide range of internet marketing services. They provide digital branding and brand management, identity, integrated marketing, social media marketing & strategy, art direction, website design & development, startup incubation, commercial video production, product development, and commercial storefront development services to a wide array of clients ranging from bootstrapped startups to successful longstanding companies. Follow them on Google+.