Tech’s rising profile: No. 4 Baltimore tech trend of 2015

Beyond individual stories, a tech community is defined by how its component parts work together. So, to look back at 2015, we’re unpacking 10 themes that kept popping up with big headlines all year long. See the full list of 2015 trends here.

Maryland Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill is visiting startups, speaking at Betamore’s Christmas party and showing up at makerspace groundbreaking ceremonies. His deputy, Ben Wu, cut the ribbon on Staq’s new office at Spark and celebrated a licensing deal at Johns Hopkins’ FastForward East.
Within the halls of state government, there’s an increasing realization that the innovation economy is key for Baltimore and Maryland going forward.
While tax credits to help angel investors and incubators didn’t pass in Annapolis, there were clear signs in the plans for a new BioPark building and a new fund and more money for TEDCO that encouraging early stage companies represents potential job creation that can’t be ignored.
At the same time, the local energy grabbed attention outside of the state. During Baltimore Innovation Week alone, Steve Case brought his Rise of the Rest bus tour to town to highlight the many pieces of the startup community. There was the piece Johns Hopkins Senior Advisor to the President Christy Wyskiel published in the Huffington Post. Later, CNBC focused in on the city’s tech scene. Founders also spread the word, with Yet Analytics receiving the Nielsen Data Visionary Award at TechCrunch Disrupt and OpiaTalk founder Tom Popomaronis discussing with Inc. how to build a startup outside of Silicon Valley.