Startups & entrepreneurs thrive in Austin, Texas

Global Business

Texas’ capital city of Austin has been host to the South by Southwest festival since it began in 1987.

Dubbed the next Silicon Valley, a recent tech boom has made Austin attractive to entrepreneurs and startups.

CCTV America’s Jim Spellman reports.

Austin, Texas is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. drawing young people to the vibrant nightlife, sunny days, and a thriving startup scene.

“We’ve got 50,000 square feet and more than 1,000 entrepreneurs who work here and they are all working on different types of startup ideas and coming here to meet their first investors, first customers and first employees,” Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory said.

It’s a casual environment that lounge chairs are as common as desk chairs. Laptops are the norm and you won’t find a necktie anywhere.

But people come here for more than just a place to work. Capital Factory connects startups with technical experts, mentors and investors.  

Startups working out of Capital Factory (Twitter: @CapitalFactory) also have access to a multimedia studio. They may have a good idea for a company but need some help telling their own stories.

They can use this facility to create online videos to tell the story of their product or company or even attract new investors.

Josh Rubin runs the studio, a partnership with Daily Dot, an online news outlet.  (Twitter: @dailydot) Rubin says every entrepreneur who steps in front of his camera is another connection made that may pay off in the future.

Capital Factory also courts international companies looking for a foothold in the U.S.


Natalie Cofield on South by Southwest significance

CCTV America’s Michelle Makori spoke to Natalie Cofield about the buzz surrounding this year’s South by Southwest. She’s a consultant and former President and CEO of the Austin Black Chamber of Commerce.