Hey there tech friend! You may know Delaware as the first state to ratify the Constitution. Or maybe for our beautiful beaches and tax-free shopping. But I bet you didn‘t know Delaware is also home to some of the most innovative companies advancing the future of technology!
Let me clue you in on the First State‘s thriving tech sector. Why do so many pioneering companies choose to call Delaware home? Well, our business-friendly policies attract over 50% of Fortune 500 firms and 66% of publicly traded companies to incorporate here. Beyond an welcoming environment, Delaware offers top-notch research facilities and talent emerging from institutions like the University of Delaware. Pretty nice perks, eh?
But this article isn‘t about the countless big names just using Delaware as their legal address. We‘ll spotlight the powerhouse homegrown companies actually headquartered and running robust operations within our tight-knit community!
DuPont – Delaware‘s Hometown Tech Titan
You can‘t discuss Delaware‘s technology legacy without spotlighting native son DuPont. Founded along Brandywine Creek in 1802 as a gunpowder mill, this globetrotting giant still proudly calls the First State home. Today, DuPont drives innovation in diverse realms spanning biotechnology, transportation, infrastructure safety and more. But our focus rests chiefly on their past and present contributions to Delaware:
Key DuPont Innovations
| Decade | Breakthrough Invention | Impact |
| ———– | ———– |———– |
| 1920s | Neoprene synthetic rubber | Revolutionary polymer science|
| 1930s | Nylon | Upended textile and manufacturing |
| 1950s onwards | Kevlar, Tyvek, Corian etc.| Materials science leaps |
Crazy to believe DuPont started as a humble family explosives business! Yet over 200 years they‘ve spearheaded progress in polymers, computing, biotech and so much more right here in Delaware. Even wilder – DuPont still employs around 5,000 people locally and dedicates hundreds of millions into First State R&D annually!
We Delawareans stick together, so despite evolving into a global giant, DuPont keeps investing in the local talent pipeline. Gotta show my home state pride and gratitude for all DuPont‘s done to put Delaware‘s technology scene on the map!
Gore: Delaware‘s Privately-Owned Innovation Powerhouse
Think all pioneering enterprises eventually go public? Well Gore is a billion-dollar exception right in our backyard! I bet you‘ve worn their signature Gore-Tex fabric or used Glide floss – both revolutionary innovations! Founder Bill Gore was just tinkering in his basement in 1958. But thanks to game-changing polymer research and patented discovery of expanded PTFE (ePTFE), his homegrown Delaware startup evolved into a multibillion dollar privately-owned empire.
Here‘s why Gore prefers independence and an egalitarian culture over traditional accountability to Wall Street shareholders:
- Nearly all 10,500+ employees own shares
- Self-managed teams spur creativity
- Focus stays on R&D and risk-taking
And the approach works – Gore keeps cranking out killer patents! Beyond fabrics and dental products, they‘re advancing medical devices like arterial grafts. Gore even owned the tech my NASCAR crew uses on tear-resistant pit hoses! From biotech to renewables, Gore leverages partnerships with Delaware researchers to pioneer across all tech frontiers. We First State folks gotta stick together after all!
And while I can‘t share specifics, friends at Gore hint big things brewing from their Newark HQ!
Delaware Goes EV with SK Innovation Hub
Beyond nurturing homegrown champions, Delaware attracts satellite centers powering the world‘s most influential industries! Take SK Innovation – this Korean giant selected Delaware to host their $1 billion North American electric vehicle battery R&D hub and USA headquarters site. Following compute leader Seagate‘s lead anchoring tech operations in Wilmington, SK‘s investment signals global migration into Delaware‘s welcoming economic climate.
My buddies in Governor Carney‘s office shared off the record how SK plans hiring hundreds of local engineers and researchers to staff this emerging EV center. As a lifelong gearhead with a lead foot I‘ve gotta say, feels pretty exciting seeing the First State floor it into the future of mobility!
Launching the Biotech Ventures of Tomorrow
Between the University of Delaware‘s research muscle and Delaware‘s receptive startup climate, the First State launches dozens of ventures annually across tech spheres like fintech, robotics and healthcare. I‘m particularly jazzed by the biotech entrepreneurs tackling big problems!
Take LuminUltra – founded in 2003 by UD scientists Dr. Anthony Buckley and Dr. Scott Smith, this New Castle County startup makes rapid-testing products preventing outbreaks and strengthening food/water quality control. After initial bootstrapping, LuminUltra tapped state small-biz grants to scale manufacturing right here in Delaware.
Today exporting to 80+ countries, LuminUltra just opened shiny new amenable headquarters! Locals like me love seeing smart founders like Tony build global solutions – while staying loyal to the Delaware community that nurtured them from scratch.
Hope you enjoyed this inside tour of Delaware‘s unsung tech innovators – from pioneering giants to rising biotech disruptors! We may fly under the radar beyond our borders, but the First State punches far above its weight building technology powerhouses changing the world!
Let me know if you ever visit, happy to showcase more of our tech scene first-hand!
