No doubt Silicon Valley is spreading across the nation.

Check out the

12 tech hubs

getting $504 million for projects in funding by DC as a regional innovation push that loops in 31 places.

The hubs range from Montana to Wisconsin to Tulsa to Ohio to New York and cover everything from semiconductors to biomanufacturing to clean energy to climate tech to EV materials.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo kicked off a road show in July to visit these innovation spots and hosted a summit to connect these regional projects with VCs and other funding sources.

MY OWN

SILICON HEARTLAND ROAD TOUR

Site visits: Agtech in central Ohio

Solar farms on the way in OSU project from Shell-owned Savion

AI on farming equipment powered by OSU R&D (below)

Site visit: Honda factory in central Ohio

From vintage Civics (like one I once owned) to a future of EV and hydrogen-powered cars

Site Visit: Bethlehem, PA

No shortage of amazing places to stay and sights in former steel town Bethlehem, PA. Be sure to walk the steel stacks and visit the Museum of Industrial History. And check out historic inns WilburMansion, SayreMansion and Hotel Bethlehem. This Lehigh Valley city is making a comeback from steel to tech and tourism. #SiliconHeartland #SiliconLands

Site Visit DC

Attended

SelectUSA

heard Dept of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talk about new investment in America. Also saw many state exhibits touring their benefits for newcomers.

Check out my interview with

NC Governor

Roy Cooper

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Mongolia!

This July, I visited Mongolia as a startup competition judge and speaker at the Central Asia regional forum, a feeder for the Startup World Cup spearheaded by Bill Reichert of Pegasus Ventures.

Gema Gerelsaikhan, managing partner of new seed fund, XZP, detailed progress in backing promising startups in Mongolia and Central Asia, a region with 86 million people, digital acuity and high VC on a per capital basis.

With partner Azbayar Altangerel, XZP has invested in VC Lab, Nomadic Bear Games in mobile gaming, and satellite company Ondo Space. The firm also runs an accelerator and an angel investment club.

While the economy depends on mining, there is decided tech talent that was on display during the contest.

The winner, CerebraAI, will compete in the global finals in San Francisco on October 4, for a chance to win a $1,000,000 investment prize.

Time out from Mongolian Economic Forum to see this gigantic statue of Genghis Khan - 30 meters high on a hilltop. On this trip outside UBN, saw lots of cattle, sheep and horses, and tried archery. For the tourists (many in summertime!), there's roadside yurt resorts where you can stay overnight the local way.