Emerging Technologies
BUILDING SUCCESS IN NOVA
Since Appian’s beginning in my apartment in McLean in 1999, all of our headquarters, all our code and all our funding have been in or come from Northern Virginia. We’ve found all the resources we’ve needed to build a winning technology company right here.
Fast Facts
Tech Workers in Fairfax NOVA
Fairfax County EDAJobs are tech-related in Fairfax NOVA
Tech CrunchTech Degrees Conferred Annually by 45 Regional Colleges & Universities
Fairfax County EDATech Workers in the D.C. Metro Area (the No. 4 Largest Tech Labor Pool in North America)
CBRE, 2021Constantly Elevating the Standard
Where Tomorrow’s Tech Talent Calls Home
On the heels of Amazon’s HQ2 landing in Arlington, tech talent, startups and tech companies have realized the unbeatable benefits of Fairfax NOVA’s local economy and location. Our businesses, universities and government agencies are at the forefront of emerging technologies, supported by an ecosystem of incubators, venture capital/private equity and workforce development.
Like Silicon Valley but with even more potential, Fairfax County is a hub for key emergent technologies such as social media, artificial intelligence/machine learning, blockchain, drones, cybersecurity, autonomous driving, augmented/virtual reality, Internet of Things (IoT), fusion energy and additive manufacturing such as 3D printing. With these systems trending toward success, Fairfax NOVA is one of the best locations for both established tech providers and new small business owners when it comes to product development and technology needs.
Interested in learning more about how to win from Fairfax?
Inventing the Future of Tech
Small Tech Business Dreams Big in FFX NOVA
Father and son team John and Jack Simms run HomeValet, a company reimagining the e-commerce delivery supply chain in Fairfax.
A Magnet for Tech Business
Emerging technologies in Fairfax NOVA are disrupting the status quo, with thousands of innovative companies finding collaboration and support in the region for their technological developments and research projects.
Tech Talent & Education
Amplify your impact in Fairfax NOVA’s thriving hub of talent and education. Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. metro area colleges and universities award more than 15,000 tech degrees annually, including schools like the esteemed George Mason University. Mason’s College of Engineering — one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive — is renowned for its innovations in applied computation, computer learning and sensor networks through the Volgenau School of Engineering.
Additionally, Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is set to open in 2024 in Alexandria, providing state-of-the-art facilities where emerging technologies companies can access some of the brightest minds in computer science and systems engineering.
Tech Collaboration
Fairfax NOVA is the epicenter for businesses, entrepreneurs and talent looking to dent the universe with a constantly expanding environment for tech collaboration and research. The Mason Innovation Exchange at George Mason University provides an invaluable incubator, while NOVA Labs Makerspace offers multifunctional spaces to bring innovative projects to fruition.
Meanwhile, one of Northern Virgina and the Washington D.C. metro area’s pioneering tech entrepreneurship events, DC Tech Meetup, is currently having a resurgence, presenting an excellent opportunity to connect with emerging technology leaders in fields like augmented reality blockchain, AI, machine learning, data collection, software development and beyond.
Tech Company Success
Emerging technology companies come to FFX NOVA to make history, and it happens on a regular basis. HomeValet utilizes cutting-edge IoT technology for its Smart Box system, enabling the convenient delivery of refrigerated and frozen food items directly to consumers’ doorsteps.
Optimus Ride, a pioneer in autonomous shuttle technology, served tens of thousands of rides to Reston business employees before being acquired by Magna International in 2022. Macedon Technologies, a prominent business process management software company, made waves in Fairfax NOVA in 2020 by doubling its staff with a 12,000-square-foot expansion to its Reston headquarters. Meanwhile, Appian — a low-code automation platform headquartered in Fairfax NOVA since 1999 — expanded in Tysons in 2018 with the addition of 600 new employees.
Featured News
FCEDA’s 2026 Tech and Cyber Hiring Event Draws Record Attendance, Connecting Talent to Critical Hiring Needs
FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins Will Return to Private Sector This Fall
