Silicon Valley Group Seeks to Give Area an Edge
Cities across Silicon Valley are trying to capture some of the corporate growth unfolding in the region. In San Mateo, that has resulted in a public-private partnership called the Edge.
The effort was launched in late 2009 as an initiative of the San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce and also is funded by companies with offices in the area, such as mutual-fund company Franklin Templeton and online software company Salesforce.com Inc. The goal of the Edge, which is structured as a nonprofit, is to help the mid-Peninsula region from South San Francisco to Redwood City to be more business-friendly and to attract new companies into the neighborhood.
So far, the San Mateo City Council has approved $75,000 in funding for the Edge and has agreed to put in an additional $50,000, contingent on whether the group raises a matching $50,000 from corporate sponsors. The Edge has held a forum for businesses and entrepreneurs to discuss local issues and is now working on projects such as getting downtown San Mateo wired with better high-speed broadband, among other things.
