This last year has been an exciting one for Kansas City technology community, as evidenced by two major one-year anniversaries: One year of Google Fiber in Kansas City, and one year of the Launch KC program. Both were launched toward the end of last year and have helped to propel the Kansas City area into a thriving tech community – and an unparalleled place for new tech startups.
By now, most people know all about Google Fiber. Kansas City was selected from over 1,100 applicants to be the first community in the country to receive Google Fiber. The lightning-fast broadband Internet service helped make Kansas City a go-to place for burgeoning tech companies and startups.
But Google Fiber isn’t the only advantage Kansas City has.
The Launch KC project is an initiative designed to attract tech companies and entrepreneurs to downtown KC, especially the Crossroads Arts District. Launch KC includes things like a free broadband WiFi district in the Crossroads and downtown, affordable and versatile office spaces, a data center in the area scaled to fit the needs of growing tech companies, and tax abatements and other incentives. Launch KC just celebrated its first anniversary with a downtown shindig at the Bauer, where Mayor Sly James—a major supporter of the initiative—toasted the anniversary and announced the winners of the Big Data KC Hackathon, a civic data event held as part of the Big Data KC international conference. See photos from the Launch KC party here
Even before the advent of Google Fiber and Launch KC, downtown Kansas City was already making noise as a go-to place for tech-based entrepreneurs. The Kauffman Foundation recently reported that Kansas City ranked third in the nation in overall increase in “high-tech startup density from 1990-2010.” The Wall Street Journal called Kansas City a national hub for information technology. Kiplinger chose Kansas City as one of the 10 best cities in America for starting a business, and Business Insider named KC one of its 10 best cities for young job seekers. Dice.com ranked Missouri as a whole as the number 3 state for growth in tech jobs, while Under30CEO says KC is the number 2 city in America for young entrepreneurs.
A centralized location, a rich cultural and arts landscape, a low cost of living, and a welcoming attitude toward startups and tech companies all combine to make Kansas City a logical destination for entrepreneurs. A recent inventory taken by the Downtown Council found over 400 “brain-powered” businesses in downtown KC, including architecture and engineering, art galleries, marketing and advertising, and, of course, information technology companies. The majority of these are concentrated in KC’s scenic and historic Crossroads Arts District, which has seen a major renaissance in recent years as a place not only for art galleries, boutique shops, and fantastic restaurants, but also a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity.
With the advent of Google Fiber and initiatives like Launch KC, the tech community in Kansas City is stronger than ever and the celebration of these two anniversaries only shows that it isn’t likely to wane anytime soon!