Built In Colorado has releases its second annual ‘Top 100 Digital Companies’ report. This list, which ranks digital tech employers based on local employee count, clearly demonstrates the growth the tech industry has witnessed in the past year.
“Nearly 5,000 new IT jobs were added to Colorado this past year. We want that momentum to continue into 2016,” Governor John Hickenlooper said. “Google’s plan to build a Boulder campus is a huge win for our state’s IT industry, but just as important is the continued growth of homegrown IT companies like Zayo and Webroot. Those kinds of businesses, and the jobs they bring to our highly talented workforce, are key to Colorado’s thriving economy.”
Colorado is home to over 1,600 digital companies. The top 100 employers among them are a young bunch, and are, on average, just 13 years old. 31 percent of the top 100 are less than 10 years old, and an impressive 15 percent are less than five years old. In total, the top 100 companies employ an impressive 18,400 people.
Software companies make up the bulk of the list, taking up 47 percent of the top spots. B2B Web companies make up another 24 percent, with consumer web, agency and commerce companies splitting the rest. Together, the top 100 pulled in over $328 million of investment just this year.
“Colorado’s commitment to the growth and advancement of technology in the state is the major factor of the current demand for digital employment,” Tanya Jones, Manager of Corporate Recruiting at HomeAdvisor said. “That, and the fact Denver is ranked as one of the top cities to live, will continue to provide digital employment growth in 2016.”
The majority of Colorado’s top digital employers are located from central Boulder to downtown Denver and further south toward Centennial and the Tech Center. They seem to follow the mountains, with Denver International Airport as their anchor.
“Colorado’s great quality of life, affordable cost of living, and growing reputation as a center for innovation all contribute to the rapid growth we are seeing in digital industries,” Dave Wright, CEO of SolidFire said. “With California continuing to struggle with overcrowding, high cost of living, rising taxation and a heavily regulated business environment, I don’t see the influx of tech employers and new tech jobs slowing down any time soon.”
Companies on the rise: Door to Door Organics, Kapost, Ibotta andLogRhythm all moved up the list significantly. Perhaps these companies’ successes are a sign of the times. Today we live in an era where coupons live on our phones, our organic groceries are delivered and cyber threats abound. Our digital employers reflect these realities.
Other companies that moved up in the rankings included: Healthgrades,sovrn Holdings, Aleph Objects, GutCheck.
Companies to watch: Predicting companies that will rise in the rankings is risky business. However, given the current hiring trends we see at places like LogRhythm, Zayo and iTriage, it is probably safe to assume they’ll be on the rise next year. SolidFire will soon move into new officesand could hire as many as 150 new employees there.
Gusto (previously ZenPayroll), which is not even on the 2015 list, moved to Colorado earlier this year and is planning on adding 100 full-time jobs in the near future. In total, the company plans on hiring around 1,000 employees in Denver over the course of the next couple of years. Gusto, which was formed in San Francisco, looked at Salt Lake City and Austin as well, before ultimately deciding on Denver.
Google, which is nearing completion of phase 1 of their new campus in Boulder, should move up in the rankings next year as well. In total, the tech behemoth plans on employing around 1,500 people in Colorado.
Article and infographic via Built in Colorado
