The D.C. technology scene has grown and matured greatly over the last several years — this line has been said time and time again. And while it’s certainly easy to be enveloped by the amicable cheerleading behind our local tech startup movement, it may be equally easy to forget about where this town came from.
It wasn’t long ago, and some will still argue, that federal contractors and stark grey lobbying suits owned the national image and culture behind the District. Whether you agree D.C. is taking on a different image due to its vibrant technology scene or if you outright disagree with this sentiment, I believe most can agree that certain regional tech industries are killing it right now.
To get a better idea at what sectors are growing fastest in the surrounding Washington, D.C. area, DC Inno spoke to a group of local executives from a range of different technology companies. These executives lead businesses at different growth stages, within different industry sectors, but are equally invested in their origins as local entrepreneurs. We posed a simple question: What sector in DC tech is heating up fastest right now?
Here’s what they had to say on the top D.C. tech industries:
Blake Hall — CEO and Founder of ID.me
"I believe the most exciting companies in DC Tech deliver platforms that live at the intersection of identity, privacy, and remote authentication. From Samsung's acquisition of SmartThings, MicroStrategy's Usher, ID.me, and Virtru, there are quite a lot of success stories and innovative products coming out of DC Tech. Given DC's geographic location, there will always be success stories from regulated markets like healthcare, education, and government, but the obvious need for a digital identity network to make trusted credentials portable (hello IRS crisis), strong authentication to control smart things, and robust privacy controls, represent huge new markets that will fundamentally transform every consumer's day to day life."
Dan Berger — Founder and CEO of Social Tables
"I think the answer is hospitality. Let me explain. Traditionally, DC proper has been known for government when the reality is that most of our job growth has been in education and health. I think the metro area has a sleeping giant when it comes to hospitality. DC is fast becoming a meeting (the city is booking many conventions) and leisure destination (we are the #7 destination for international travelers). We have all of the major hotel chains HQs here, a hospitality program at Georgetown, and unique event spaces. But most importantly, we have a culture of service."
Susan Tynan — Founder and CEO of Framebridge
"I'm really excited about consumer tech in DC right now. Framebridge, UrbanStems, Galley. LivingSocial is responsible for bringing a lot of that energy and talent to the area. And it's exciting to see new consumer tech companies expand into DC as a key part of their strategy - Instacart, Postmates, Minibar, GetAround, MakeSpace. As the founder of a consumer tech business, I'm thrilled to see it heating up here. As a consumer, I am thrilled I can do everything from my home/desk!"
Matt Provo — Co-founder and CEO of ParkedIn
"Honestly, EdTech is so hot right now! When you look at DC EdTech’s roots with companies like Blackboard, who paved the way for innovators like 2U and Everfi, there is certainly ground swell building all the time—I also love what Parchment and Leaf College Savings are doing in the space. With so much support from great organizations like Georgetown University and the U.S. Department of Education, I think we are going to continue to see very exciting things ahead. Although my business (ParkedIn) is in a different industry—as a father—I am really excited about the growth in EdTech for my son’s education."
Andy Flanagan — CEO of Telcare
"Mobile Health continues to capture the hearts and minds of entrepreneurs, investors and enterprises alike. From the excitement of the Fitbit IPO filing to the continued political message around the unsustainable cost of health care in our country, the mHealth sector is capturing record investment. Those investments are producing innovation that allows a consumer to be free from traditional constraints and environments. We saw the same tectonic shift with the introduction of the smartphone. We will see innovation in mHealth put to good use by innovation programs in government, private sector and in academia over the next 12 months. As always, the passion of the entrepreneur needs a guiding light, and for now, mHealth is the North Star."
