Aside from a sought after tourist destination, Santa Barbara has presently become a center for young and developing businesses, said Kenny Slaught. Dozens of promising, new companies have been founded in recent years, and many, including AppScale, LastLine, TrackR, and Salty Girl Seafood, have come directly out of the University of California Santa Barbara. With over $200 million raised for area startups from private investors in the last year, the Central Coast boasts nearly twice the investment per capita in innovation than the greater Los Angeles area, a much larger market. While some may feel the tempting pull of Silicon Valley or Hollywood, local entrepreneurs recognize the significance of building a business in an environment that promotes growth. As a result, the region is one of the best places in the country to launch and cultivate startups, spawning remarkable biotech, medical, technology, and scientific businesses like Inogen, Raytheon, Sonos, and BioIQ.
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