Some locations around the world are specially suited to being technology hubs, and the idea of hubs is that the foster a community that interact in terms of products, services, and ideas to help drive the economy. For Oakland, U.S. there are several key advantages.
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, U.S. Oakland has an established connection with technology. For example, the Port of Oakland was an early innovator in the technologies of Intermodal Containerized Shipping; plus tech firms Ask.com and Pandora Radio are located in the city. Uber has also established a major regional office.
In addition, many startup technology and green energy companies have, over the past few years, established themselves in city districts like Uptown, City Center, Jack London Square and Lake Merritt Financial District. The startup boom is still running strong.
A new Marqeta survey shows the importance of technology and innovation to the city: 53 percent of Oakland and San Francisco residents view the city as a growing tech hub. Importantly, just 33 percent see this tech boom as a part of the wider Silicon Valley ecosystem, which indicates that technology firm growth in Oakland is maintaining its own identity.
The survey was run by Propeller Insights and it took in 500 San Franciscans and 500 Oakland residents, with poll being taken between August 10-18, 2019.
The survey also finds that 70 percent of Oakland respondents said bringing more jobs to the area is an advantage of Oakland’s growing tech scene, and 51 percent said that cleaning up the area is another benefit.
With a rich and diverse culture, Oakland is attractive to people on numerous levels. In terms of what people like the most about Oakland, survey respondents said the culture (57 percent). This was followed by restaurants (49 percent) and a sense of community (44 percent.)
The company behind the survey – Marqeta – has been named one of the “2019 Best Tech Startups in Oakland” by TechTribune. This was based on the company’s revenue potential, leadership team, brand and product traction, and an evaluation of the competitive landscape.
