When you think about tech and places related to the industry, the first places that probably come to mind are Silicon Valley or San Francisco. Lately, there’s been a noticeable shift from these California tech nests to new tech hubs.
IT startups are steering away from busy, expensive cities and moving into friendlier ones like San Diego. Here, affordability, the presence of community programs, a large talent pool, a better quality of life, and other factors are crucial to business growth. San Diego has all these to offer and more, which is why it’s slowly taking over as the country’s tech and software capital.
Thinking about moving your IT business to San Diego? Let’s find out the latest about this city and why tech companies like yours should consider it for your next business headquarters.
TECHSPRO in San Diego
TECHSPRO events bring together tech giants, consumers, partners, and peers from different top tech cities in the world. In the United States, TECHSPRO is held only in key cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando, Boston, Denver, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, and San Diego.
San Diego is recognized as one of the major tech cities in the US, establishing its firm grip in the IT industry. Yearly, TECHSPRO San Diego brings together in one place the top brands, innovators, tech providers, and startups, making this one of the much-awaited tech events in the city.
TECHSPRO is not just a national event. This tech convention is held in many cities around the world, including Toronto, Vancouver, Amsterdam, London, New Delhi, Sydney, Singapore, and Dubai.
Aside from TECHSPRO, San Diego is host to many other technology conferences, including Quantum for Business San Diego, The Green Summit, and the Thinkful Webinar.
San Diego Startup Community
Business startups prefer a tightly knit community like San Diego. They appreciate what the Startup San Diego community program can do for them, especially when it comes to growing their business and connecting with fellow entrepreneurs and business owners.
Startup San Diego was a grass-roots initiative founded in 2012 by small entrepreneurs in the city, creating the very first tech community in San Diego. The program only had a few attendees when it started a decade ago; now, it has more than 4000 members and counting!
Members enjoy valuable community perks such as training/education, fostering, and endless growth opportunities provided by many companies that started in San Diego. According to the latest Startup San Diego impact report, the community has hosted more than 2,000 entrepreneurs in more than 13 events and a signature conference since 2020.
The community also helps displaced locals involved in tech due to the coronavirus pandemic. Startup San Diego aims to assist these individuals in finding job opportunities using their local job listings. When lockdowns and health protocols were imposed to protect the community, Startup San Diego created the first virtual Startup Month, replacing San Diego Startup Week.
Cheaper Business and Office Space
Compared to areas like Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and other nearby tech cities, renting an average office space in San Diego is more affordable. According to Commercial Café, the average office rental rate in the city is around $42.06 per square foot. Meanwhile, Class A office spaces rent in Los Angeles for around $49.32 per square foot, while office spaces in the San Francisco area are around $61.40 per square foot.
With this lower overhead cost, tech startups can save money. Companies that are still in the pre-funding phase will surely find San Diego’s real estate market a welcome alternative compared to the expensive rates of nearby cities.
Highly Skilled Workers Available
San Diego is home to tech-savvy, experienced professionals. No wonder it’s easier for startups to find ground in this city. A large percentage of highly-skilled workers come from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD). Most of these graduates major in software engineering and get valuable experience from chip manufacturer Qualcomm. Other tech manufacturers also hire new grads and offer internship programs for tech students.
Focus on Artificial Intelligence
According to a San Diego Union-Tribune report, artificial intelligence may become the focus of US tech innovation in 2022 and in the coming years. The report also said that San Diego might be one of the cities that’s ready to be the leader in AI innovation.
In a ranking of hundreds of cities according to their AI readiness, the areas along the San Francisco Bay Area scored the highest. San Diego is among the top 13 and was deemed an early user of AI. But how is AI relevant in various industries in San Diego? AI has the ability to work with different industries, including the tech industry. AI can avoid power outages, promote faster repair of power grids, and help companies in their everyday manufacturing and development tasks.
Many San Diego-based companies have adopted the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in their various business and manufacturing processes. Qualcomm is using artificial intelligence to run its autonomous driving program. Oracle uses augmented analytics coupled with machine learning in its analytics processes. Meanwhile, other San Diego tech companies like Teradata, Viasat, Illumina, and Cubic have also embraced AI to improve customer experience.
Business Software Security
Part of growing your business and working hard to engage your customers in San Diego is looking for ways to protect your business software. According to Digital Authority Partners, business owners and managers understand the crucial role of software data protection, especially customer data security. Putting these before anything else secures your online and market reputation while you protect your customers’ information from various online threats. Thus, for business software security, partner only with a professional software development company.
Final Words
San Diego is fast becoming one of the tech giants in the US. This is because of many favorable factors that make this city the most popular among tech companies and startups. The great climate, favorable office space costs, and plenty of highly-skilled workers make San Diego truly a tech haven of the future.