The Coastal Shift: Why West Coast Startups Are Looking Inland

If you’re a startup founder in California or Oregon feeling the squeeze of high rents, saturated markets, and cutthroat hiring competition, you’re not alone. A growing wave of founders are scouting new terrain—and many are setting their sights on Fort Collins, Colorado.

Why? It’s not just affordability. Fort Collins offers a rare combo: a thriving innovation ecosystem, deep talent from CSU, and a lifestyle that rivals anything the coast has to offer.

Fort Collins Is Not Just a College Town

Once known mainly for bikes and breweries, Fort Collins is quietly building serious startup cred:

• Ranked 65th in the U.S. and 239th globally for startup ecosystems
• Local startups raised over $68 million in funding recently
• CSU produces a robust pipeline of engineers, designers, and business talent
• Accelerators like Innosphere Ventures and Boomtown provide early-stage founders with expert mentorship and access to capital

Combine this with lower commercial rents, less red tape, and an incredibly connected community, and you’ve got a formula coastal startups can’t ignore. If you’ve been thinking about expanding—or even relocating—you won’t be the first, and you definitely won’t be the last.

Culture That Closes the Deal: Craft Beer, Live Music, and Mountain Vibes

Moving your business is more than spreadsheets and square footage. Culture matters—and Fort Collins delivers.

A Craft Beer Capital

With 20+ breweries (including New Belgium, Odell, and Funkwerks), Fort Collins brews 70% of Colorado’s craft beer. Taprooms here aren’t just for happy hour—they double as meeting spots, startup socials, and community hubs.

A Legit Music Scene

Venues like Washington’s, The Aggie, and nearby iconic venue The Mishawaka offer a steady flow of local and national acts. The Music District itself is part coworking space, part incubator for artists—a creative haven for startups in media, design, or digital production.

Add in hundreds of miles of bike trails, access to Rocky Mountain National Park, and a festival calendar that rivals cities twice its size, and you’ve got a place where founders actually want to live—not just work.

Need something to eat? Fort Collins features a volume and variety of eateries worthy of a city twice its size. From Fort Collins instititution Avogadro’s Number to newly opened Schneider’s Schnitzel Service, there’s something to satisfy every craving. If you seek fine dining or a late-night hot dog from the cart on Mountain and College, Fort Collins has you covered.

Mini Startup Toolkit: Getting Started in Fort Collins

Startup Accelerators & Incubators

• Innosphere Ventures – Tech, biosciences, clean energy
• Boomtown Accelerators (Boulder) – UX, design-driven startups

Talent & Recruiting

• Colorado State University – Career services, intern pipelines
• Larimer County Workforce Center – Grants, job fairs

Coworking & Office Space

• Front Range Business Centers – Flexible office leases
• The Music District – Creative startups welcome

Funding & Support

• Colorado OEDIT – Statewide grants and incentives
• Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce – Networking + resources

Community + Culture

• 1 Million Cups Fort Collins – Weekly founder meetups
• Founded in FoCO – Regional exposure
• Brewery socials and pop-up talks all over town