Index Ventures’ East Coast Invasion: A Warning Shot to Silicon Valley

The venture capital world is about to get a rude awakening: San Francisco is no longer the only game in town. Index Ventures, a firm that’s been quietly building a presence in New York, is about to make a bold move that will shake the very foundations of the startup ecosystem.

The firm is on the hunt for a new investor to join its New York-based team, and plans to add three or four more people to the team within the next year. That’s a 40% increase in just 12 months – a move that’s being hailed as “hypergrowth” by Index Ventures partner Shardul Shah.

But what’s behind this sudden surge of activity in the Big Apple? Shah claims that New York has something that San Francisco doesn’t: a density of customers that’s unmatched anywhere else. And it’s not just about the health and financial industries – Shah says that the city’s diversity of industries is a major draw for startups looking to scale.

But don’t just take Shah’s word for it. The numbers are on his side. According to PitchBook data, startups in New York raised $12.6 billion in the first half of 2024 – a figure that’s nothing to sneeze at. And when it comes to unicorns, New York is home to 122 of them, compared to San Francisco’s 182. Sure, the Bay Area has more, but New York is no slouch.

Of course, there are those who will say that New York’s ecosystem is lacking in one key area: large exits. Datadog is the most prominent example, and even that was five years ago. But Shah is undeterred, saying that Index is ready to fund more growth and prove that the East Coast is more than just a footnote in the startup story.

So, is the West Coast’s grip on the startup world finally starting to loosen? It’s time to stop saying that venture capital only happens on the West Coast. It’s time to recognize that New York is a major player in the startup ecosystem, and it’s time to start taking notice.