Silicon Prairie Rises from the Corn Fields

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Story and illustration by Hal Goodtree. First published on CaryInnovationCenter.org.

Cary, NC – First there was Silicon Valley in California. Then New York got in the act with Silicon Alley. Now, the new hotspot is in the Midwest. It’s been dubbed Silicon Prairie.

Silicon Prairie

Entrepreneurs and money are pouring into the Midwest, according to The New York Times:

From Des Moines to Omaha to Kansas City — a region known more for its barns than its bandwidth — a start-up tech scene is burgeoning. Dozens of new ventures are laying roots each year, investors are committing hundreds of millions of dollars to them, and state governments are teaming up with private organizations to promote the growing tech community. They are calling it — what else? — the Silicon Prairie.

Google Fiber

Kansas City won the first roll-out of Google Fiber, an internet connection 100 times faster than what we get in Cary.

Google is deploying the fiber district-by-district in KC, but entrepreneurs and innovators are already flocking to the area.

Prairie Startups

Here are a few interesting Silicon Prairie startups:

  • Menufy – a free menu app for restaurants
  • InvenQuery – an inventory management system
  • Hear Nebraska – music & social engagement
  • Turbine Flats – entrepreneurial center

Silicon Prairie News

A good source of information about the mini-boom in the Midwest is Silicon Prairie News.