Think “Startup” to Stay Big
Blog series by Vanessa Wagner, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Manager, Loudoun County, Va Department of Economic Development
Small businesses can “fail fast” and pivot quickly to respond to current market demands. This is one reason that more large firms are embracing startups, or creating their own niche project teams to spur innovation. In Loudoun County, large technology firms seeking to innovate have been turning to startups and innovators in the community as a part of their strategy for continued growth. 
On Wednesday, February 1 Northern Virginia TechBreakfast hosted a special event where larger Loudoun-based tech firms shared their new technology and projects. Both Verizon and AOL team members participated to provide demo’s for an audience of near 100.
Verizon briefed the audience on ThingSpace, a web-based Internet of Things platform. This IoT platform is designed for developers seeking an expedited channel to launch their ideas into the marketplace. ThingSpace helps developers by providing the Verizon tools they need; tools vary from codes to interactive dashboards. For example, if you have the next big idea for a wearable device, the ThingSpace Wearable Kit enables you to connect your own platform to the kit board stack and quickly evaluate and prototype.
Attendees that were seeking a more advanced mapping system benefited from the AOL demo of MapQuest, a mobile-based application that boasts 45.3 million unique visitors per month. In November of 2016, AOL acquired SocialRadar, a social and location-based application, to improve the functionality of MapQuest. MapQuest’s improvement via the SocialRadar location abilities will help enterprise users reduce battery-burn and access accurate locations right up to the front door of their desired destination.
Outside of the well-known technology-enabled firms in Loudoun County, new projects are turning to small firms to inspire their big projects. The planned Gramercy District in Ashburn, VA seeks a holistic approach to bridge the gaps between real estate and technology through their 22 Citylink project. Managing Partner Minh Le welcomes solutions from startups and has already embraced tech startups Gravy Analytics and Neon on the development of their platform.
Continue to learn about the impact that technology startups are making in Loudoun by joining entrepreneurs at one of the many small business events hosted in Loudoun County, such as 1 Million Cups, NoVA TechBreakfast or Loudoun Tech Startups.
At Loudoun Economic Development, your business is our business. We want to make sure Loudoun companies are successful, and if your company isn’t in Loudoun already, we’d like to discuss how moving here can contribute to your success. Start by calling us today 1-(800)-LOUDOUN
To see Vanessa’s entire blog series on Technology, click here.
Interested in the Technology Initiative at the Loudoun Chamber? Click here