In addition to being a top tourist destination, Santa Barbara has now become a center for new and emergent businesses, said Kenny Slaught. Lots of promising, new companies have been shaped in recent years, and many, counting AppScale, LastLine, TrackR, and Salty Girl Seafood, have come straight out of the University of California Santa Barbara. With more than $200 million raised for area startups from private investors in the previous year, the Central Coast boasts nearly twice the investment per capita in invention than the greater Los Angeles area, a much larger market. While some may feel the charm of Silicon Valley or Hollywood, homegrown entrepreneurs acknowledge the impact of building a business in an environment that promotes growth. So, the region is one of the best places in the country to launch and develop startups, generating remarkable biotech, medical, technology, and scientific businesses like Inogen, Raytheon, Sonos, and BioIQ.
Read more: http://profitandcost.com/news/kenny-slaught-examines-santa-barbara-s-thriving-community/0004694/