
United States
Washington, D.C. #11
"The greater D.C. region is beginning to get more attention from Silicon Valley and New York City investors. Cyber continues to be a major player, along with other tech sectors benefiting from the growth of Amazon’s HQ2. Food services, hospitality, healthcare, and other sectors are also gaining traction."



Highlights
Washington, D.C. may be more well known for politics than for entrepreneurship, but the U.S. capital has been gaining a reputation as a startup hub. The ecosystem benefits from a growing tech talent pool and proximity to federal government departments, as well as an abundance of Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the area.
Investors have taken notice. Companies in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia region raised $4.9 billion in 334 deals in 2021, more than double the $1.96 billion raised in 2020. The top five deals in 2021 alone amounted to more than $800 million. Robotic Research Group/RR.IA’s December deal for $228 million was by far the largest amount raised in D.C. in 2021.
In March 2021, Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities, led by Break Through Tech and SecondMuse, in partnership with Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, launched GET DC as its next city hub, working to propel more women and marginalized groups into tech careers. In January 2022 the D.C. regional chapter of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), founded by a group of Indian American entrepreneurs, announced the second TiE DC University PitchFest for university students across the region.
Ecosystem by the Numbers
Amount ($)
Count (#)
Exits
Sub-Sector Strengths
Edtech
Cybersecurity

Reasons to Move Your Startup to Washington, D.C.
Government Support
In December 2021, the DC REACh initiative was launched to promote financial inclusion for underserved communities, small businesses, and residents through greater access to credit and capital. It aims to remove structural barriers to capital and credit, and create solutions that help more Washingtonians buy homes, start businesses, and build wealth.
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