Within Silicon Valley, there’s a low-grade yet persistent anxiety on the minds of, well, nearly everyone, and it boils down to one question:

Are we losing our place as the geographic center of the global tech industry?

That’s not paranoia.

The Bay Area’s 20 biggest tech employers grew their workforces three times faster outside the U.S. than they did here from January 2019 through July 2025, an analysis by Joint Venture Silicon Valley shows.

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“While we’re the undisputed center of innovation, there’s a risk of losing that to Austin or China or wherever,” says San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “I want to make sure Silicon Valley stays geographically here in Silicon Valley.”

How?

The Bay Area’s largest city is investing in highly educated immigrants.

“Education and immigratio

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