Emerging Technology Hubs

This Kenyan startup is literally sucking CO₂ from the air and selling it Kenyan startup Octavia Carbon is building a Direct Air Carbon Capture (DAC) plant in Gilgil the first of its kind on the continent. It’s a serious engineering play -Uses geothermal energy -Captures 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the air annually -Stores it underground in volcanic rock -Sells carbon credits to global buyers This isn’t just another climate headline it’s infrastructure. Quietly being built, tested, and scaled right here. No noise. Just execution.The part that stands out to me? They’re using Kenya’s natural geology and energy mix as a competitive edge. Not trying to clone models from elsewhere they’re making something that fits where they are. I like this kind of work. It’s honest. Capital-intensive, science-heavy, long-term. Not the easiest path for a startup but arguably one of the most impactful. You don’t see many climate-tech teams going this deep into engineering. But maybe we’ll start seeing more. Props to the Octavia Carbon team. #climatetech #carbonremoval #hardtech #directaircapture #kenyatech #deeptech #startups #founderenergy #africa

I relocated from the Bay Area to #Atlanta in 2012, where I soon founded Partpic. Choosing to locate a promising computer vision (AI!) startup in Atlanta over Silicon Valley was considered a risky bet. Now in 2024, it finally feels like the bet on Atlanta is paying off. For the first time, all the key players are in sync and moving forward in the same direction. This is a sea change from the disjointed landscape I encountered when I was starting up. I'm encouraged by the progress. A few notable updates: 1. The City of Atlanta has adopted a forward-thinking approach to innovation, led by visionary leaders. Mayor Andre Dickens, aptly nicknamed the "Tech Mayor," made a great choice appointing Donnie Beamer Jr., CFA, to spearhead the newly created Office of Technology and Innovation. In one year, Donnie and team have made notable strides, including partnering on a comprehensive analysis led by Parmeet Grover of BCG, outlining Atlanta's status and trajectory toward becoming a Top 5 Tech Hub. The study offers valuable insights here: https://lnkd.in/eA82mZXX 2. The magic of Atlanta Tech Village is now extending to South Downtown, thanks to David Cummings. I recently toured the area with David, Jon Birdsong, Aly Merritt, and April Stammel and was amazed by the project's scale and potential. It represents a significant opportunity to foster innovation in Atlanta for years to come. My sincerest hope for the development is that inclusion is part of its DNA from the start. Maynard Jackson gifted Atlanta the blueprint on how to do developments of this magnitude with economic equity at the center, and I am hopeful the Atlanta Ventures team will follow his example. King Williams wrote an excellent overview of the project's history and potential here: https://lnkd.in/e2jrMEFG 3. An increasing number of startup founders are scaling their businesses successfully. Although the number of unicorns remains modest (7), local entrepreneurs are redefining success—focusing less on fundraising and more on revenue, profitability, and ownership. Embracing and multiplying these types of businesses is crucial, as it insulates our ecosystem from the volatility of VC and ensures that when these companies exit, a larger portion of the value remains local, benefiting the community. We are focused on influencing entrepreneurs in our portfolio to adopt this mindset as are many ESOs like Endeavor Atlanta, Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, and Goodie Nation. These developments are a testament to Atlanta's evolution as a thriving hub for tech innovation and entrepreneurship, making it an exciting time to be part of this vibrant community. While there is still much work to be done (more on this later), I'm heartened at the earnest #collaboration happening toward a shared vision of accelerating inclusive entrepreneurship in Atlanta.

The uncomfortable truth about innovation in emerging markets? We're still getting it wrong. I spent years building financial inclusion products. Met thousands of users in the field. And here’s what still bothers me- Most "innovation" for emerging markets is just a watered-down version of what works in NA. I have also heard terms like “innovation for the bottom of the pyramid.” While that framing might be great, it also has a bias. They're not the bottom of anything. They’re the majority of the world. I learned a few things through this work. 🔹Constraints breed innovation: When M-PESA launched in Kenya, banks dismissed it as “too simple.” Now mobile money moves most of Kenya’s GDP. 🔹Trust scales differently: In Silicon Valley, we trust algorithms. In emerging markets, trust flows through relationships. Great products don’t replace human networks, They amplify them. 🔹The experts are already there: The woman I met who was married at 12 and runs a small business? She understands cash flow better than most MBAs. Innovation isn’t teaching her finance. It’s building tools that respect her expertise. 🔹 Leapfrogging isn’t about skipping steps: It’s about taking entirely different paths. Countries don't from no phones to iPhones. They went from no phones → mobile money → new economic models. And here’s the hardest truth: Most of us building for emerging markets have never been hungry. Never been unbanked. Never kept our savings in cash under a mattress. Never had to "jugaad"/ hack solutions to workaround the hurdles. 💡 The next wave of world-changing products? They won’t come from adapting our solutions for them. They’ll come from their solutions teaching us what we’ve been missing all along. #innovation #emergingmarkets #majoritymarkets #financialinclusion #productleadership #globalimpact

🌍🎙️ Join me in the latest Tech 4 Climate Podcast for an inspiring roundtable discussion with Beth Zonis, Senior Director at Cleantech Open Northeast / NECEC, and six innovative finalists from the 2023 program. 🚀 🌿 Discover their #cleantech innovations and the minds behind the green technology shaping our environmental future. This is our third encounter with Beth and the latest cohort of #changemakers - and it's more compelling than ever! In this episode: 🌞 Shiv Bhakta ♻️ of Active Surfaces reveals how their ultra-thin film solar technology, rooted in decades of MIT research, is setting the stage for next-gen sustainable energy solutions. 💡 Dr. Ryan Letts, D.B.A. from The Cleonmaye Corporation discusses driving global change in the renewable and reusable energy sector through relentless innovation and learning. 🔥 Ed Smith of Amply Energy, Inc. Energy shares how their software is revolutionizing the adoption of heat pump systems, making sustainable living accessible for American homeowners. 🔋 Lingchen Kong of Ellexco introduces a groundbreaking, chemical-free method for direct lithium extraction, pivotal for advancing battery technology. 🌱 John Harrold from Zinco Verde talks about creating more eco-friendly metal oxides that pave the way for a greener industry. 🛰️ Jyotsna Budideti of SpaceSense explains how their AI toolbox is transforming the geospatial data science landscape, enabling faster and more efficient solutions. 🎧✨Don't miss this episode if you're passionate about technology, sustainability, and innovation. Tune in to gain invaluable insights and join the conversation on cleantech's future. #tech4climate #cleantechinnovation #sustainability #renewableenergy #climatetech #podcast

The "tech talent tectonic shift" - Silicon Valley, Manhattan, and others no longer monopolize the market for tech talent. Let's dive in. 🔍 Great reporting from The Wall Street Journal points out a phenomenon we already intuitively know - the exodus of workers out of cities like San Francisco and New York City. Due to many factors, including how some cities handled the pandemic, emerging technology ecosystems across the U.S. and the growing employment of tech workers in non-tech industries have created more geographic competition. 🏙️ The Shrinking Share Lightcast, a labor-market analytics firm, in collaboration with The Brookings Institution, highlights that cities traditionally synonymous with technology are not just losing their proportionate share of U.S. tech labor; they're experiencing an absolute decline in their tech workforce. For instance, Silicon Valley saw a reduction of nearly 1,400 tech workers up to 2023, a trend likely exacerbated by layoffs at tech giants. Contrastingly, areas like Denver, Salt Lake City, Miami, Nashville, and particularly Texas cities - Dallas, Austin, and Houston - are becoming new tech hotspots. These cities have witnessed significant tech workforce growth, with the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area alone adding 30,000 tech jobs in two years. 🌱 Growth Drivers: Local Ecosystems and Diverse Employment - Local Tech Ecosystems: New tech clusters are forming, fueled by both local and external investments. These ecosystems are self-sustaining, with new tech firms attracting more talent and fostering additional tech startups. - Broad-based Tech Employment: About 60% of tech workers in the U.S. and Canada are now employed in traditionally non-tech industries like healthcare and education. This diversification in employment opportunities is decentralizing the tech workforce. 📊 Case Study: Cart.com's Location Dynamics Cart.com's journey exemplifies this trend. Initially founded in Houston, then moved to Austin, and eventually returning to Houston, the company's location strategy reflects the need for diverse talent pools that cities like Houston offer, beyond just software development expertise. 📈 Future Outlook: Decentralizing Innovation While certain areas will continue to lead in specific tech domains (e.g., AI in the Bay Area, biotech in Boston), the overall nature of tech jobs is evolving. More cities are now equipped to support "new collar" tech jobs focused on implementing innovative technologies rather than solely creating them. This evolution suggests a continued dispersion of tech jobs across various U.S. cities, reshaping the traditional concept of tech hubs - good to have more geographic competition! Read more - link in comments. #TechTalent #SiliconValley #InnovationMigration #TechHubs #FutureOfWork

I am speaking four times at events during SXSW about the history of Austin tech. Our community has grown from the 25th largest city in the United States to the 10th largest city since I moved here in 1991. That is a lot of growth and most of that is because the city morphed from a university/government town to becoming a leading innovation center / tech hub in just a few decades. If you have things to add, please leave a comment or send me a message (I am always thrilled to learn new points of view that I can add to my speech). The Ten Pillars of Austin's Tech Success: 1.     The University of Texas at Austin and Dr. George Kozmetsky – Beginning in the 1970s the stage was set to attract talent, research and innovation. The combined effort of UT, the city, state, and the local business community was intentional to create a diverse tech business community in Austin. 2.     Central Location in the USA and (Mostly) Good Weather- Accessible and strategically positioned for business, easy access to travel, and a good climate made Austin a great place to live. 3.     Affordability – Historically, Austin offered a lower cost of living and doing business compared to other tech hubs. 4.     Connected/Networked Business and Tech Community - From the very early days our tech scene, business and tech leaders were active in community and their willingness to mentor young entrepreneurs was paramount to Austin’s success. 5.     Robust Business Ecosystem for Large Companies and Startups - The Chamber of Commerce and Opportunity Austin worked to promote/market Austin as a place for Big Tech to open offices and relocate corporate headquarters. And organizations like Austin Technology Incubator, Capital Factory, etc… created support for the growth of entrepreneurship and startups. 6.     Artsy Culture, Music Scene, and the "Keep Austin Weird" Vibe – Austin had a unique cultural identity that attracted diverse talent and made the city a welcoming place for everyone. 7.     Young Educated Workforce – For decades Austin has had a demographic conducive to innovation and startups. These young and ambitious tech workers are from both our local universities (UT, St Eds, ACC, etc…) and the top talent that relocated to Austin. 8.     Angel Investors/VC Capital and Tech Focused Service Providers– Beginning in the late 1990s and 2000s the essential funding that fuels the startup and growth phases of companies became available locally.  Additionally, the seasoned lawyers, accountants, bankers, etc... who help advise tech companies are present in Austin and help drive success. 9.     Government and Policy Support - Pro-business policies, low business taxes, no personal income tax, and incentives that attract and retain companies have historically made Austin a great place to do business. 10.  SXSW – The SXSW Interactive Conference helped highlight Austin on the international stage by brining the world to Texas beginning in the 1990s and continuing through today.

One of our most anticipated reports each year is out—a comprehensive look at the most significant tech trends unfolding today, from agentic AI to the future of mobility to bioengineering. It provides CEOs with insights on how to embrace frontier technology that has the potential to transform industries and create new opportunities for growth.   Here’s my top-line take: —Equity investments rose in 10 out of 13 tech trends in 2024, with 7 of those trends recovering from declines in the previous year. This rebound signals growing confidence in emerging technologies. —We're witnessing a significant shift in autonomous systems going from pilots to practical applications. Systems like robots and digital agents, are not only executing tasks but also learning and adapting. Agentic AI saw a $1.1 billion equity investment in 2024 alone. —The interface between humans and machines is becoming more natural and intuitive. Advances in immersive training environments, haptic robotics, voice-driven copilots, and sensor-enabled wearables are making technology more responsive to human needs. —And, of course, the AI effect stands out as both a powerful trend in its own right and a foundational amplifier of others. AI is accelerating robotics training, advancing bioengineering discoveries, optimizing energy systems, and more. The sheer scale of investment in AI is staggering, with $124.3 billion in equity investment in 2024 alone.   Let's discuss: Which of these trends do you think will have the most significant impact on your industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below!   Big thanks to my colleagues Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, Roger Roberts, and Sven Smit.   #TechTrends #AI #Innovation #FutureOfWork #EmergingTech http://mck.co/techtrends

🚀 McKinsey & Company Tech Trends 2025: What Business Leaders Must Know Now. The future is arriving faster than expected—and AI is at the core of it. McKinsey’s Technology Trends Outlook 2025 is a must-read for executives, founders, and technologists looking to stay ahead. The report evaluates 15 breakthrough technologies based on adoption, investment, talent availability, and real-world momentum. Here are the key insights and strategic takeaways 👇 🔮 1. #AI is the Central Force AI is not just one of many trends—it’s a foundational technology driving others. From developer productivity to robotics, AI is now integrated across industries and functions. Use cases have matured beyond experimentation into real-world value creation. 🧠 2. Generative & Agentic AI: From Tools to Teammates Generative AI continues to surge, but Agentic AI —tools that can reason and take action autonomously—is emerging as the next frontier. These systems will move from responding to prompts to completing tasks, triggering a shift in business automation. ⚙️ 3. Next-Gen Software Development AI-assisted development environments are accelerating time-to-code and shifting how engineering teams function. Companies investing here are cutting product cycles by up to 30%, according to McKinsey insights. 📡 4. Advanced Connectivity Fuels Edge Innovation With maturing 5G, low-Earth-orbit satellites, and edge computing, advanced connectivity is unlocking real-time applications across manufacturing, logistics, and smart infrastructure. This isn't future-talk—deployment is accelerating now. 🔬 5. Applied AI in Real Operations AI-powered vision systems, robotics, and simulation tools are already optimizing everything from warehousing to agriculture. What’s new? These tools are being used at scale, not just in pilot programs. 📊 6. Trust Architecture & Responsible AI As AI grows more autonomous, McKinsey emphasizes trust architecture—governance, risk controls, and ethical design must evolve in tandem. Regulation is coming fast. Companies that prepare early will lead with confidence. 🌱 7. Sustainable Tech: From Buzzword to Bottom Line Tech is finally aligning with sustainability goals. Energy-efficient compute, circular hardware design, and green cloud are becoming investment priorities, not side projects. 💡 Leadership Takeaways ✅ Embed AI as a horizontal strategy, not a vertical investment ✅ Invest in next-gen developer tools to stay agile ✅ Build or upskill talent to lead agentic workflows ✅ Establish clear AI governance frameworks early ✅ Use advanced connectivity to optimize operations ✅ Don’t overlook trust, ethics, and sustainability—they are competitive differentiators. #McKinsey #AI #TechTrends2025 #AgenticAI #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #TrustInTech #GenerativeAI #Sustainability #AILeadership #TechStrategy #BusinessInnovation 🤖📈🌐💼

Which cities are winning the war for tech talent? The Burning Glass Institute worked with The Wall Street Journal to analyze the tech talent base of each US city in order to find the ones with the greatest concentrations of cutting edge skills. A city can have a big tech workforce but if people are mostly working in legacy technology, it will quickly lose its edge. You can find the Journal’s feature story here: https://lnkd.in/esgFP-NX Our study focused on mapping the evolving landscape of tech talent distribution across metros. Here are some key insights from the report: * Not all skills are created equal: Across the full range of skills within the tech workforce, there are some at the frontier of advances in technology – those that are growing fastest and commanding the highest market premiums. Cities with large concentrations of these skills stand to define the future tech talent landscape. * Reports of San Francisco’s demise are greatly exaggerated: Even as headlines herald the city’s decline, the city still retains an enviable tech talent base that’s second only to Seattle’s. * The Silicon Slopes are building a tech powerhouse: Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden-Clearfield take the #1, #3, and #10 spots respectively for frontier tech skills among mid-sized MSAs. * Tech is going Main Street: Northwest Arkansas takes the #2 spot among mid-sized MSAs, bolstered by Walmart’s major tech investments, reflecting how a growing share of tech hiring is now outside of the tech sector. * Pittsburgh and Kansas City are on the rise: Home of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh takes the #5 spot in our momentum rankings for major cities, as the city fast emerges as a critical player in tech talent. Kansas City comes in at #6, bolstered by a major Google Fiber rollout. * Some growing cities have yet to build future-ready tech workforces: Miami, Dallas, and Houston lag behind many other large MSA’s, despite significant economic momentum. * Bigger isn’t always better: Just a few years ago, the sheer size of Washington, DC’s tech workforce won it Amazon’s HQ2. But with a workforce largely anchored in government contracting and defense, a high share of workers are focused on legacy platforms. We’ve published a detailed readout of this research on our website - find it here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5V5Krrm Special thanks to my co-authors Stuart Andreason, Luke Chen, and Gad Levanon for their hard work on this research, and to Kevin McAllister and Harry Carr at the Wall Street Journal for their excellent efforts in reporting on this work, and for their partnership. #economy #economics #careers #innovation #economicdevelopment #talent #futureofwork

Here are some of the biggest opportunities to invest in climate tech you’ve probably never heard of: 🚧 In the cement industry, innovative technologies from companies like CarbonCure Technologies, Solidia Technologies®, Minus Materials, Biomason, and Chement aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 75% by 2050. 🐄 Animal agriculture, responsible for 30% of global warming, sees startups like Bezoar Laboratories, Symbrosia , Blue Ocean Barns, and Rumin8 using additives and anti-methanogenic plants to cut methane emissions by 80-85%. ⚡ In energy, startups like CalWave Power Technologies Inc. harness wave energy, while Hazer Group Limited, Monolith, and Amogy convert methane and ammonia into clean fuels. ☁️ Carbon capture ventures like Carbon Capture®, Carbon Engineering Ltd., and Climeworks strive to remove carbon from the atmosphere. These innovations present great opportunities to combat climate change.