Why Scott Case believes in the startup potential of DC

When Scott Case is asked by eyebrow-raising founders why he started a tech company in Washington, D.C., his position is pretty clear: He truly believes in the area’s potential for startups.
The president and COO of upcoming business travel startup Upside, as well as the founding CTO of Priceline.com, made his point in a LinkedIn post last week.
“DC isn’t New York City, and we’re not Silicon Valley. And we don’t want to be,” Case wrote. “We are focused on being the best that DC can be by leveraging the kinds of connections and network that is the capital of our capitol.”
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Case mentions how the District is part of Steve Case’s (his brother) “Rise of the Rest” concept, specifically referring to how it joins a number of communities around the country proving themselves as reputable locations for startups. Scott Case also points to Steve Case’s new book, The Third Wave, as describing the tech startups that are “changing the way we view and use education, health, food and government services.”
In addition to giving a shoutout to incubator 1776 and the “energy and opportunity for entrepreneurs” he sees there, he recognizes tech companies like Quorum Analytics, Social Tables, Aquicore and TrackMaven for setting the startup atmosphere in the city.

"Seriously? You’re starting a tech company in DC? " @tscottcase shares why it's a smart move https://t.co/wdrcMIapx0 #DCTech #startups

— Jade Floyd (@JadeFloydDC) June 6, 2016

The numbers he brings up also support him — according to PwC, venture capitalists invested more than $1.4 billion in D.C. tech companies in 2015, with startups having the highest number of deals at 84. Back in 2010 there were only 46 deals.
The Kauffman Foundation also ranked D.C. No. 1 in a recently released “Growth Entrepreneurship” report.