Xconomy expands tech coverage into Detroit

Xconomy.com is adding some diversity to its economic ecosystem by spreading its coverage area to include Metro Detroit.

The business webzine that focuses on the new economy has traditionally covered regions that are hotspots for technology and innovation, such as California or Massachusetts, where the nearly three-year-old firm is based. Xconomy Detroit is the company's first foray away from the coasts and in a place more familiar with industrial America.

"It's not a normal choice for us," says Bob Buderi, founder and editor-in-chief of Xconomy. He adds that Metro Detroit doesn't have the robust venture capital or entrepreneurial communities enjoyed by other cities Xconomy covers, such as Seattle or San Diego.

However, that doesn't mean there isn't a story to tell in Detroit and Michigan. Most of the Midwest is trying to reinvent itself and recapture some of the entrepreneurial and investment gusto that made it great a century ago.

"It's still a hugely important thing playing out and we wanted to tell the story," Buderi says. "It's hugely important to the country."

Buderi, a former technology editor for Business Week, started the company after finishing his third book on tech and innovation. It has since grown to 10 employees, four independent contractors, and two journalism fellows from Scandinavia. The Detroit Bureau will have one person to start but could grow to two staffers within the next year, which would put it on par with the Seattle bureau.

Source: Bob Buderi, founder and editor in chief of Xconomy
Writer: Jon Zemke
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