Riverside County has staked a claim to being a leader in innovation. It has been a haven for inventors throughout its history. Today, investors, visionaries, and entrepreneurs are re-establishing themselves in Riverside County, giving the area a new lease on life as a hub for innovation.
Riverside County – Home to Innovators!
To welcome and recruit entrepreneurs and foster innovation, Riverside County has created an ecosystem of Innovation Centers. These centers have assisted in the raising of hundreds of millions of dollars for new companies in the County over the previous decade, but the potential is even higher.
Last year, $140 million in venture capital was invested in California start-ups, although the activity was centered in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Because of its network of Innovation Centers, Riverside County is starting to receive a greater share of investment.
Growth in Employment
In addition, the centers are fueling job development across the County. In 2018, it was revealed that the Inland Empire, which includes both Riverside and San Bernardino counties, was exceeding the rest of the country in terms of tech job growth. That year, the region’s tech jobs rose by 3.5 percent, outpacing the rest of the state and, in second place, virtually outpacing the rest of the country. It wasn’t a coincidence.
According to The Center for Social Innovation at the University of Riverside, Riverside’s innovation-related occupations have increased by 74% in the previous five years.
Innovation Hubs for Entrepreneurs in Riverside County
EPIC
Throughout Riverside County, there are 13 Innovation Centers. Each one is self-contained, servicing various sectors and offering a unique set of services, but they all have the same goal: to aid entrepreneurs working on a business concept.
“You can just have an idea. You can come into the center as early as you want.”
~ Dr. Rosibel Ochoa, Associate Vice Chancellor of Technology Partnerships at the University of California, Riverside.
EPIC is a life science and technology innovation hub with incubators. According to Ochoa, it provides mentorship, education, and training to assist entrepreneurs in identifying value in their ideas and eventually commercializing them. EPIC has aided over 600 enterprises and founded 46 businesses since its inception five years ago.
One of the most recent firms EPIC has aided is Edge Sound Research. Experiential Audio, a novel audio format that allows listeners to experience and feel sound, was designed by Valtteri Salomaki and Ethan Castro in 2020.
Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP)
The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership operates three Innovation Centers, commonly known as ihubs, in the Coachella Valley (CVEP).
“Our programs are open to any entrepreneur with a presence in the Coachella Valley and occasionally to those with a verified intent to relocate their business to the Coachella Valley,”
~ Laura E. James, VP of Innovation at CVEP.
Murrieta Innovation Center (MIC)
Another essential center promoting innovation in the County is the Murrieta Innovation Center (MIC). The MIC has aided in the formation of businesses such as Vinduino, an agronomy technology firm that assists farmers in managing crops in the face of climate change.
New entrepreneurs frequently don’t know where to start when bringing their ideas to life, so Innovation Centers give direction and advice.
Author
Author: Sharjeel
Sharjeel joined Startempire Wire as emerging technologies editor. Earlier, he worked at Silicon Canals, a leading English language technology media source for the Benelux and wider Europe. He covered the European technology and startup ecosystem digging into latest funding rounds of startups.
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