Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Watch out for the hordes of Millennials: LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Report revealed this Colorado city is the secondmost moved-to by 20- and 30-somethings (according to its members), after Austin. Technology-focused early-stage investment outfits like Denver Angels and Rockies Venture Club—and Techstars Sustainability Accelerator—are fanning expansion, while the fastestgrowing segments here within tech are A.I. and machine learning, followed by blockchain and cryptocurrency, according to Powderkeg’s 2018 Tech Census. What local companies are making a splash? In October, cloudbased email service SendGrid sold to Twilio for $2 billion. Though the cannabis industry accounts for a small share of Colorado’s new businesses, cannabis venture fund CanopyBoulder is investing in non-planttouching cannabis companies here such as PotGuide, GreenScreens (digital signage and advertising), and Würk (human resources and payroll processing). In October, Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth acquired Ebbu, a hemp-research leader based in Evergreen. Paul Foley, founder of Colorado Startups, is about to launch the firstever crowdfunded portfolio, SmartCapital. On his shortlist? Pepper, a bra company for smallchested women; a eucalyptus sheet-and-bedding company called Sheets & Giggles; and a dating app for mindfulnessloving people, MeetMindful.