Guadalajara, Mexico Is a Latin 'Silicon Valley' Jude Webber - FirstFT
go to original June 16, 2015

Population: 1.5m (4.4m in greater Guadalajara)
Backing: $100m+ for 300 Jalisco start-ups in two years
Time to set up a company: One to two weeks

Mexico City is a megalopolis on speed. Monterrey, the northern industrial hub, is the money city, but with all the charm of a Houston suburb. But Mexico’s second city, Guadalajara, is a manageable size, with a growing hipster vibe, and combines tradition — as the birthplace of mariachis and tequila — with its niche as a Latin “Silicon Valley”.

The case for: With tech courses at some 20 universities, including a campus of the respected Tecnológico de Monterrey, there is no shortage of brains. Guadalajara has a record in tech and is home to big names such as IBM, Oracle, Intel and Solectron, attracted by its young, qualified workforce.

But what makes Guadalajara really stand out are its entrepreneur networks. Meetings hosted by groups such as iTuesdays and Hackers & Founders regularly bring innovative ideas into contact with potential investors.

Guadalajara is setting up a Creative Digital City, designed as a hub of digital media development and Jalisco is the first state in Mexico to have an innovation ministry.

Read the rest at FirstFT

Photo: theinstitute.ieee.org

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