When most Americans think of technology startup hubs, they think of places like Boston, Seattle and Silicon Valley. And many think of Milwaukee as a Rust Belt city and Wisconsin as a farming state. We do not have the reputation as a magnet for high tech talent and entrepreneurs.
In other words, we’re considered flyover country.
In recent years, Milwaukee and Wisconsin have ranked at or near the bottom of the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity. That’s a big concern because new businesses create most of the new jobs in the economy.
However, there are signs Wisconsin is making progress in improving its startup and technology sectors.
Inc. magazine recently announced its annual list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in America, and placed a Wisconsin company at No. 1. Madison-based logistics technology startup SwanLeap, founded in Elkhart Lake in 2013, took the top spot with 75,000 percent growth over the past three years and a projected $400 million in revenue this year.
Wisconsin has two companies in the top 10 of the Inc. 5000. Besides SwanLeap, Milton-based Diamond Assets, an Apple hardware trade-up provider, was ranked No. 7.
Those companies provide a big opportunity to change the narrative about Wisconsin. We’re not flyover country. Startups and tech firms can and do thrive here. Read the full story here.
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