How to form a startup in Silicon Valley?

Silicon Valley Startup Heaven

Some of the top entrepreneurs and first time business owners want to form a Silicon Valley startup as the business environment and startup ecosystem is just perfect when it comes to valuable resources and business growth enablers.

Silicon Valley startup ecosystem

Silicon Valley is home to different types of business organizations and institutions, which have facilitated the creation of a robust business environment. This environment is a part of the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem and is highly conducive towards the successful creation and operation of startups, leadership in several high-tech specialization areas, and disruptive business models. The ecosystem is driven by several components and has a variety of characteristics, which make the Silicon Valley system work in a synchronized manner thus making it conducive to register a Silicon Valley startup.

• The Micro level: Focuses on Product, People, and Pivot
• The Meso level: Comprises of Capital, Universities, Government, and Support Networks
• The Macro level: Revolves around Culture inspired by generations of startup founders

• Startups
• Large tech companies
• Investors
• Accelerators
• Universities
• Co-working spaces

Why is Silicon Valley good for startups?

The Silicon Valley startup ecosystem boasts of a dual ecosystem consisting of startups and large firms existing symbiotically. Silicon Valley is considered to be a comprehensively integrated as well as balanced business ecosystem that ensures startups are able to leverage from the leading-edge innovation, pro-startup culture, and pioneering entrepreneurship. The Silicon Valley ecosystem provides support to startups so that they can push forward their dreams into a global market. Some of the factors that play a key role if you plan to register a Silicon Valley startup are:

• Successful entrepreneurs as well as startups can enjoy high financial returns
• Availability of top-level global human resources for various stages of a startup
• Existence of strong business and industry like accounting, IT, law, etc.
• It is the most competitive market for venture capital (VC’s) and other investors
• Ivy league and top ranked universities like Stanford, UCSF, and UC Berkeley
• Most human resource clusters are anchored around these top universities
• Availability of top startup accelerators in the Silicon Valley provide startups with advice, mentorship, and resources
• The government plays an extensive role in shaping current and future technological trajectories
• There is a fine balance between open innovation, secret protection, and intellectual property protection amongst highly competitive industries
• There is a high mobility of labor at different management and talent levels
• There is a strong and positive culture of accepting failures leading to effective evaluation as well as monitoring

Top startup industries in Silicon Valley

The Silicon Valley as well as the Bay Area is considered as the greatest hub for new businesses and startups. This is because when you form a Silicon Valley startup; the existing and continuously evolving and expanding infrastructure provides the necessary platform to a business in its nascent stages. Silicon valley also provides a favorable advantage when it comes to the tech industry but the truth is that there are several other top startup industries in the Silicon Valley area that have garnered equal attention and reputation. Let us briefly look at the hottest industries in Silicon Valley.

• Fintech – Fintech or Financial Technology is a form of emerging technology, which focuses on helping financial institutions improve and automate the delivery of various financial services. If you are planning to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup in the Fintech industry then it is one of the most rewarding and rapidly growing industries. In fact, a report by Ernst and Young estimated that the California Financial Technology market was worth $7.1 billion in 2015. In the near future, there will be enormous growth potential for startups in terms of revenue generation in this industry due to the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Technology. Today, it is considered as one of the top startup industries in Silicon Valley and some of the highly successful businesses in this sector include Braintree, Varo Money, Brex, Morningstar, Gravity Payments, and Acorns.
• Big Data – One of the areas or industries that are expected to even grow bigger in the years to come is Big Data. This is also one of the favored industries to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup as the existing market size globally was $41.33 billion in 2019 and its projected growth is $116.07 billion by 2027. This is more so because of early adoption of futuristic technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Predictive Analysis according to a report by Fortune Business Insights. Some of the top startup industries in Silicon Valley as well as global companies like IBM Corporation, Amazon.com, Microsoft Corporation, SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, Software AG, Infosys Limited, Cisco Systems, and Dell Technologies have been key players in the big data market.
• Blockchain – The Blockchain technology was first outlined in 1991 and was first implemented in 2009 for transactions being made using bitcoin. It is essentially a public ledger or a distributed database of records that comprises any or all transactions or even digital events taking place and is normally shared among participating entities. The wide variety of applications of Blockchain has attracted many entrepreneurs to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup in this industry. The market size of the global blockchain technology was valued at $3.67 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow quickly. You can register a Silicon Valley startup in the Blockchain industry as it is expected to expand or grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 82.4% from 2021 to 2028. It is one of the most promising technologies in the IT domain and is projected to reach $69.04 billion by 2027.
• AI & Machine Learning – Artificial Intelligence is a big concept and machine learning is a subset of AI and together they are increasingly being applied in a variety of industries and areas including eCommerce, Workplace Communication, Human Resource Management, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Logistics and Supply Chain, Chatbots, Space Exploration, and Smart Homes. If you are planning to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup in this industry then it is surely going to witness expansion and growth in the near future as market research firms like Tractica believe that Global AI market revenue is projected to reach $118 billion in 2025 while Machine Learning market size will reach $96.7 billion by 2025. The market share in the North American region for AI was $11.40 billion in 2019 while that of machine learning was $2.40 Billion. You can register a Silicon Valley startup as California is considered one of the best platforms for this industry and is home to industry stalwarts like NVIDIA Corporation, Alphabet (Google LLC), Apple Inc., Cloudera, Salt Security, and DeepMap among others.
• Medtech – Technology is at the heart of most industries today and this includes the medical industry as well. Medical Technology is commonly known as Medtech and it refers to a variety of technology enabled medical products, solutions, and services whose applications are mostly used for diagnosing and treatment of different diseases and medical conditions. Medtech applications can vary from ultrasound scans to high resolution laser machining, nano-medicines, and even electronic health records. The US Medtech market size for medical devices was worth $156 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow to $208 billion by 2023. This industry is an integral part of the US healthcare sector and one of the chosen areas for entrepreneurs to form a Silicon Valley startup. A report by Deloitte consulting revealed that the Medtech industry is well-positioned and geared up for driving the future of the healthcare industry and this is the right time to register a Silicon Valley startup in this industry.
• Biotech – Biotech is a field of technology where organisms or their products are used primarily for commercial purposes. It is also known as Biotechnology and uses living cells for developing or manipulating products for a variety of purposes including genetically modified food. It is a growth oriented industry that attracts entrepreneurs to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup. In fact, the U.S. biotechnology industry is expected to expand and grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.2% between 2021 and 2027. This is more so because of its varied applications including in the field of genetic engineering, reducing environmental impacts of industrial processes, DNA fingerprinting, and increased crop yield among others. The US Market Size for biotechnology in 2021 is valued at $105.3 billion and its projected value in 2027 is $952 billion. This is an industry where entrepreneurs can register a Silicon Valley startup as it is considered to be expanding and evolving globally.
• Cybersecurity – One of the key areas of technology today is Cybersecurity. Its importance lies in the fact that digital attacks of technology driven systems, networks, and programs have become prevalent in recent times and hence, such systems or technology needs to be protected. Cybersecurity is a type of unified threat management system that helps in detection, investigation, and remediation of cyber or digital attacks thus protecting sensitive data or information. Identity theft is one of the most common examples of cyber attack. It is one of the top startup industries in Silicon Valley as the Cybersecurity Market is forecasted to grow from $152.71 billion in 2018 to $248.6 billion by 2023. The North American market was valued at $156.24 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $352.25 billion by 2026. There are several areas of Cybersecurity where you can form a Silicon Valley startup like Deployment (On-premise and On-cloud), Manufacturing, Public Utility, Retail, IT, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), and Banking among others.

Start a new California business in Silicon Valley!

Forming Your Startup in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area is home to some of the top technology companies in the world. It is the headquarters of digital giants and other companies like Apple, Alphabet Inc.-Google, Netflix, Wells Fargo & Co., Facebook, Visa, Inc., and Chevron Corporation among others. The “Big 5” tech companies in the Silicon Valley generate revenue of $802 billion, which is more than the GDP of Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.

Prepare your startup idea and business plan

If you have a genius or innovative business idea then it’s time to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup. One of the first steps towards forming your new business is preparing and developing your startup idea and drafting a business plan. There are certain aspects that you need to consider while developing your startup idea as the business plan will be created accordingly. The most important aspect is to analyze the relevant market.

• Executive summary: This will include information about your startup and objectives in brief
• Market analysis: This includes information pertaining to industry research, competition, and launch market
• Company Structure: The structure of your startup like Corporation or LLC
• Branding, marketing and sales: This area will focus on modes and plan of advertising, marketing, and selling
• Product or service: Description of what your product or service is and how will it be beneficial for customers
• Financial projection and business model: A broad view of the earning potential of your startup and future financial scope
• Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT): A SWOT analysis will provide a realistic view of challenges, bottlenecks, potential threats, and opportunities available.

Networking/connect with industry experts

In this digital age, it goes without saying that the more people you connect with; the better it will be for your business. If you are planning to form a Silicon Valley startup then networking or connecting with industry experts will help further your startup plans or business expansion. Whether your business is currently in an ideation phase or moving towards a minimum viable product (MVP) stage; it is important to connect with industry experts as well as investors through a variety of networking channels and platforms including events, opportunities, coworking spaces, and meetups. The opportunities you can leverage when you register a Silicon Valley startup are:

• Meetups: One of the best options for networking within the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem is by becoming members of various Silicon Valley entrepreneur groups as they organize both events and meetups. Some of the top groups for meetups are Silicon Valley Young Professionals-SVYP (Santa Clara), Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Toastmasters Club (Santa Clara), SF Tech Ladies (San Francisco), and Bootstrappers Breakfast – Silicon Valley Startups (San Jose) among others.
• Events: One of the greatest benefits for aspiring entrepreneurs or first time business owners in the Silicon Valley is the large number of tech and startup events that take place in the region. Some of these events are attended by executives of the top startup industries in Silicon Valley. The events can be categorized under:
  • Inspirational startup events
  • Startup Events on Best Practices
  • Events focussing on Network and forming a team
  • Hackathons
  • Investor Networking Events

Incorporate and register your startup

In most states including California, all you need to form a business corporation is submitting articles of incorporation to the office of the Secretary of State of the chosen jurisdiction. However, if you are planning to incorporate a Silicon Valley startup or a high-growth tech company then the business formation will require much more than simply submitting the articles and bylaws. Some of the aspects integral to Silicon Valley startups are rapid growth, issuance of equity incentives to employees, scaling your business, and creating the ability to take outside investments. So, how are most Silicon Valley startups formed?

Secure funding for startup

Every business requires a startup capital; some require higher investments while others can kickstart their business with minimal capital. If you are planning to form a Silicon Valley startup then depending on the industry the startup belongs to, you may need outside funding. The question is, how do you secure funding for your startup?

Looking to register your Startup in Silicon Valley?

Silicon Valley is one of the most economically vibrant, technologically challenging Diaspora of innovation. It is home to some of the biggest tech or IT companies in the world and is considered to be the gold standard for technological advancement. If you have an idea and are planning to form a Silicon Valley startup then we at IncParadise are here to assist you with business formation requirements. We can help you to incorporate and register your Silicon Valley startup, so that you can begin operations at the earliest and maximize your benefits of launching a business in the famed valley.