Background
UpSurge Baltimore is launching to propel Baltimore into the top tier of innovation cities by building an engine to found, support, scale and celebrate high-impact startups. There’s already significant momentum in Baltimore, from the launch of companies at our globally recognized universities–Johns Hopkins, UMB, Morgan State, and UMBC– to clusters of gamechanging startups in Life Sciences, Digital Health, Cybersecurity, FinTech, AdTech, and ClimateTech.
We have a distinct perspective in Baltimore. Startups here are uniquely sensitive to the dynamics of growing and innovating in an often-underestimated, culturally and racially diverse, post-industrial city.
Our Vision: In 2030, Baltimore will be a model for the country.
We don’t want to be just the next great tech city; we want to be the world’s first Equitech city.
Tech economies are at the heart of thriving US cities.
Equitech is about building an innovation economy where all belong. It’s a force-multiplier, building on the proven benefits of diverse teams, leaders and perspectives. Over time, not only will entrepreneurs and investors around the world look to Baltimore as a launching pad for transformational companies, but more Baltimoreans will see the knowledge economy as a pathway for their own upwardly mobile futures.
As the cultural framework for UpSurge, Equitech provides a lens to attract, align and support transformational startups – not a filter to exclude them. Equitech companies cross industry sectors and capture hearts, minds and wallets for a variety of reasons.
- Companies whose culture and values are grounded in the advantages of diverse teams, leadership & perspectives.
- Companies led by underestimated founders.
- Companies in any industry using innovation to broaden access or reduce societal barriers.