Why Build Tech Companies in Nebraska?

The traditional wisdom says technology companies should be built in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Austin, or maybe New York. We respectfully disagree.

The Coastal Playbook is Broken

The standard venture-backed startup model works for a tiny percentage of companies. Most startups following this playbook:

  • Raise too much money too early
  • Burn cash on expensive coastal talent and offices
  • Scale prematurely
  • Pivot constantly to appease investors
  • Exit or die within 3-5 years

This model optimizes for home runs while treating singles and doubles as failures.

Nebraska’s Advantages

Cost Structure

Building in Nebraska means:

  • Lower operational costs - Office space, utilities, services
  • More efficient use of capital - Each dollar goes further
  • Competitive salaries - Pay people well while maintaining unit economics
  • Longer runway - Same capital, more time to find product-market fit

Talent

Contrary to stereotypes, Nebraska has:

  • Strong engineering talent from UNL, UNO, Creighton
  • Experienced professionals who chose to stay or returned
  • Lower turnover - people aren’t job-hopping for equity lottery tickets
  • Deep domain expertise in ag tech, insurance, healthcare, logistics

Business Environment

  • Supportive state government
  • Reasonable regulatory environment
  • Growing technology ecosystem
  • Major corporations (Berkshire, Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific) provide partnership opportunities

Quality of Life

  • Affordable housing
  • Good schools
  • Short commutes
  • Lower stress
  • Entrepreneurs can focus on building instead of surviving

What Nebraska Lacks

Let’s be honest about the challenges:

  • Smaller venture capital ecosystem
  • Fewer experienced tech executives
  • Limited specialized service providers
  • Smaller talent pool for certain roles

Our Solution

The Digital Greenhouse™ addresses these gaps by:

  • Providing patient capital through N2S, LLC
  • Sharing executive experience across portfolio companies
  • Building relationships with specialized service providers
  • Creating infrastructure that attracts and retains talent

Types of Companies That Thrive Here

Nebraska is ideal for:

  • B2B SaaS - Doesn’t require local market presence
  • Healthcare tech - Strong local industry knowledge
  • Ag tech - Nebraska’s core competency
  • Infrastructure software - Location-independent
  • Defense technology - Offutt AFB and defense industry presence
  • Logistics tech - Major transportation hub

Less ideal for:

  • Consumer apps requiring coastal network effects
  • Deep tech requiring specific university partnerships
  • Industries with no local market or expertise

Success Stories

Nebraska has already produced successful tech companies:

  • Hudl (sports video analysis)
  • Buildertrend (construction management)
  • Flywheel (WordPress hosting, acquired)
  • Uproar (acquired by LiveRamp)
  • Many others

These weren’t flukes. They’re proof that Nebraska can support technology companies.

The Vision

We’re not trying to be “Silicon Valley of the Plains.” We’re building something different: a sustainable technology ecosystem that:

  • Values profitability over growth at all costs
  • Builds real businesses instead of just fundraising vehicles
  • Keeps talent and capital in Nebraska
  • Contributes to local communities

Join Us

If you’re building a technology company and want to:

  • Focus on customers, not investors
  • Build something sustainable
  • Stay in or move to Nebraska
  • Access infrastructure without reinventing it

The Digital Greenhouse™ might be for you.

Contact us: info@seradigital.com