As a result, Seattle is home to a growing community of technology innovators who are willing to take risks and money is pouring in. During the last 12 years, venture capital investment in Seattle has more than tripled, to about $1 billion annually and last year Washington tied with Texas as the third-largest destination for VC money nationwide, behind California and Massachusetts.

Question: Will this same ‘offshoot’ phenomenom fuel tech start-ups in Vancouver?  If so, what companies should we look to to spawn these ‘babies’? Source: Who are the Baby Bills of Vancouver?

The question of will vs. can is important here.  We can.  We have awesome, awesome people out here, but the will, well … yeah we need folks with money willing to take risks.  I know that some do.  Heck b5 is supported by Brightspark and JLA Ventures.  I know that Canadian startups get funding, the question is–do we given enough funding to enough people.  Remember Will Pate’s post from January on startups?  We certainly have people here who can make great things happen, but you need to be able to feed yourself and pay people in the process.

If the Canadian government is really serious about Canada’s future, we need to help the startup climate, well, start up.

It’s not just money, is it?
But is an influx of money the answer?  Actually, no.  It’s not that simple.  I’m not so naive to think just giving out money is the solution.  We need to help build a climate where risk is okay.  Where failure isn’t failing but finding just another way not to do something.  That takes a lot more work.

Who’s up for the challenge?

Post from: EveryJoe

Canada and Vancouver’s Startup Climate–I think something is missing.