Characteristics of an Anchor Technology Company

Strong startup communities need to have anchor technology companies in town for a number of reasons. The idea is that anchor technology companies provide large-scale success stories for the area, import talent from outside the region, and directly support a number of functions in the community. In addition, anchor technology companies generate large amounts of press, get attention from outside the city, and have significant influence due to size and scale. So, we know that anchor technology companies are important, but what are some of their characteristics?

Here are a few characteristics of anchor technology companies:

• Significant number of high paying jobs in the city (greater than 500)
• National or international recognition in the press
• Support for the community through events, talks, donations (greater than $100,000/yr), etc
• Willingness to buy from or work with smaller technology startups
• Serious wealth creation (often monetized via an IPO)

Putting hard metrics and definitions on the characteristics of an anchor technology company is difficult. You’ll know it when you see it and the value is immense.

What else? What are some other characteristics of an anchor technology company?