Throughout its history, Riverside County has been a home to innovators. It was within the County’s borders that the famous California Navel Oranges first took root, revolutionizing the citrus industry, and nearly 150 years later, innovation continues to sprout. Today, investors, visionaries and entrepreneurs are planting roots in Riverside, giving the region a second wind as a center for innovation.

Riverside County has built an ecosystem of Innovation Centers to welcome and attract entrepreneurs and support innovation. In the last decade, these centers have helped to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for new ventures born in the County, but the potential is even greater. Last year, venture capital investment in California-based start-ups was approximately $140 million, but that activity was concentrated in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Riverside County is starting to see more of its share of investment, thanks in large part to its network of Innovation Centers.

The centers are also driving job growth throughout the County. Back in 2018, news first broke that the Inland Empire, which includes both Riverside County and San Bernardino County, was outpacing the nation in tech job growth. That year, tech jobs grew 3.5% in the region, leading the state and, at second place, nearly leading the nation for tech job growth. It wasn’t a fluke. According to The Center for Social Innovation at University of California, Riverside, innovation-related jobs in Riverside County have grown 74% in the last five years.

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