JOIN US. THE PROOF IS IN THE FACTS

1. Recently, 10 companies named Chicago to be their U.S. headquarters. Source: World Business Chicago Research Center (WBCRC)
2. Chicago dominates the “Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies 2021” list with $12.2B in total revenue and 25K + jobs and 26 newly founded companies. Source: WBCRC, Inc.5000
3. Chicago’s economy is ranked #22 globally by GDP, ahead of Sweden and Belgium. Source: WBCRC, World Bank, Moody’s
4. Chicago is a global leader in female entrepreneurship, with over 25% of female founders.  Source: Startup Genome
5. Chicago enjoys the highest concentration of female entrepreneurs in the U.S. Source: Startup Genome, 2019 Startup Economy Spotlight
6. Chicago is the largest food manufacturing sector in the country. Source: WBCRC, Moody’s
7. 1,471 food & beverage manufacturing companies are headquartered here, 1.2x more concentrated than the national average. Source: WBCRC
8. For the eighth consecutive year, “Site Selection” magazine ranked Chicago the #1 U.S. metro for corporate relocations and expansions with over 325 new investments in 2020. Source: WBCRC, Site Selection Magazine
9. Consumer products giant, Kimberly Clark, recently announced plans to move its North American business hub from Wisconsin to Chicago creating 250 new jobs. Source: Crain’s Chicago Business
10. Chicago is home to approximately 60 museums, including  the Art Institute of Chicago, voted one of the best museums in the world by TripAdvisor users and home to the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art outside of the Louvre in Paris. Source: Trip Advisor
11. Of the top 10 most populous cities in the US, Chicago is ranked #3 for ease of doing business. Source: Doing Business North America
12. Operating a tech office in San Francisco costs 50 percent more than in Chicago. Source: CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2020
13. Chicago has lower labor costs and better value for doing business of the top three major metros. Source: WBCRC
14. Chicago has over 1,200 certified minority-owned businesses. Source: City of Chicago Certified Firms Directory
15. 38 Fortune 500 and 32 S&P 500 companies are headquartered in Chicago . Source: Fortune 500 and Markets Insider
16. Chicago has one of the world’s most iconic skylines, multi-award winning Chicago Riverwalk lined with art, sculpture and murals, along with 26 miles of uninterrupted lakefront, 15 miles of sandy beaches and a 18.5-mile stretch of Lakefront Trail. Source: WBC
17. Chicago is the #1 most-diversified economy of the largest ten U.S. metros based on employment. Source: WBCRC, Moody’s
18. More than 325 companies expanded in Chicago in 2020, and 130 have already expanded in 2021.. Source: WBCRC
19. For 7 consecutive years, IBM PLI consulting ranked Chicago as the top U.S. city for foreign direct investment. Source: IBM PLI
20. Chicago is a Top 15 global start-up ecosystem. Source: Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2020
21. Since 2015, 21 Chicago-area companies have gone public. Source: WBCRC, Crain’s Chicago Business
22. Startups raised $3.8B in the first half of 2021, $1B more than all of last year. Source: ChicagoINNO
23. Chicago is home to 20 tech unicorns ($1B+ valuation). Source: WBCRC
24. Chicago’s art scene is world-renowned, from public sculptures and murals by Picasso, Miro, Calder, and Matisse, to the largest digital art projection in the world at Art on theMART.Source: WBC
25. Chicago has a 100 ranking on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index. Source:  HRC
26. Chicago ranks #5 in the U.S. for park systems. Source:  TPL
27. Chicago is excited to host the official Start Trek Convention in 2022 
28. Food entrepreneurship is on the rise. Today, there are 647 shared kitchen licenses, up from 432 in 2019. Source: City of Chicago, WBEZ
29. There are 66 national cuisines here, making Chicago the 4th most diverse food scene in the world. Source: Forbes
30. Chicago features 2 of “Food & Wine's” Top 10 coffee shops in the U.S. Source: Food & Wine
31. Chicago is the second-largest transportation and logistics sector in the country.  Source: WBCRC, Moody’s
32. Chicago has the seventh best urban transportation system in the world. Source: McKinsey
33. O’Hare International Airport processes 1.8 million tons of freight valued at over $200 billion annually and is a leading U.S. port. Source: WBCRC, U.S. Census USA Trade
34. Six of the 7 Class 1 railroads in the U.S. run through Chicago. Source: WBCRC
35. Year to date in 2021, Chicago transportation and logistics start-ups have raised over $700 million. Source: WBCRC, Pitchbook
36. For the last three years, Chicago has been home to the largest increase in life sciences VC funding of any U.S. city. Source;  CBRE U.S. Life Sciences Report 2020
37. Since the start of 2021, Chicago medical product start-ups have raised $359.5 million. Source: WBCRC, Pitchbook.
38. Nearly 1 million sq ft of Class A lab space has been delivered or is under construction since 2020. Source: Interviews with developers and commercial real estate industry.
39. Chicago offers scalable life science lab space at the lowest cost and best value of most major life science markets; $26.43 in Chicago vs. $69.31 in Boston.Source: JLL Life Sciences Outlook, 2020
40. The number of lab tenants seeking space in Chicago has more than tripled since early 2019. Source: CBRE U.S. Life Sciences Report 2020
41. Chicago is home to two of the nation’s top 20 medical schools for research. Source:  U.S. News
42. Bronzeville Lakefront development includes Chicago ARC Innovation Center, an equity-focused research arm of Israel’s renowned Sheba Medical Center. Source: SunTimes article 
43. Chicago’s manufacturing industry employs 390,000 people with every subsector employing thousands. Source: WBCRC, Moody’s
44. Chicago has the second largest number of employees in manufacturing occupations in the nation, with 294,700 production workers. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
45. At over 1.2 billion sq ft, Chicago has the largest industrial market in the U.S., with over 37 percent more inventory than the next largest market. Source: JLL U.S. Industrial Outlook 2020Q4
46. Chicago has the fourth lowest cost of manufacturing labor, beating metros like Houston and New York. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
47. Illinois has $1.7 billion in machinery R&D, the second most in the U.S. Source: ISTC 2020 R&D Index
48. Illinois has $770 million in food R&D, the second most in the U.S. Source: ISTC 2020 R&D Index
49. Over three million working-age adults live within a 50-minute commute of downtown Chicago. Source: WBCRC, U.S. Census
50. Chicago has the 2nd highest number of college grads among the five largest U.S. cities. Source: WBCRC, U.S. Census
51. Chicago has 132 higher-education institutions, graduating over 123,500 students every year. Source: WBCRC, U.S. Census
52. Chicago metro area universities produce the second most MBAs in the U.S. Source: WBCRC, IPEDS
53. Chicago metro area universities produce the fourth most engineering graduates in the U.S. Source: WBCRC, IPEDS
54. Chicago has two of the top fifteen law schools in the U.S. Source: U.S. News
55. Chicago has two of the top five business schools in the U.S. Source: U.S. News
56. Within a four hour driving radius of Chicago are three of the top ten engineering schools in the U.S.  Source: U.S. News
57. Computer Science degrees awarded in Illinois have doubled over the past five years, making us the 2nd largest producer of Computer Science degrees in the U.S. Source: ISTC 2020 STEM Talent Index
58. Since 2010, the number of Computer Engineering degrees awarded in Illinois have tripled. Source: ISTC 2020 STEM Talent Index
59. Chicago’s tech talent production has grown nearly 50 percent over the last five years. Source: CBRE Scoring Tech Talent
60. Over two-thirds of start-ups founded at Illinois universities in the past five years remain active. Source: ISTC 2020 University Entrepreneurship Index
61. One in three university-founded start-ups are in biotech or healthcare. Source: ISTC 2020 University Entrepreneurship Index
62. Chicago is home to 12,300 tech companies, employing 344,000 people. Source: CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates
63. Chicago is home to 1871, the #1 Private Business Incubator in the world. Source: 1871
64. Chicago is the #1 city for highest VC Multiple on Invested Capital, at 5.6 times. Source: Pitchbook
65. Chicago is the 2nd best data center market globally for investment and site selection. Source: Cushman & Wakefield 2021 Global Data Center Market Comparison
66. Chicago is ranked #1 for Foreign Direct Investment Strategy in transportation, distribution, and logistics. Source: fDi Intelligence, Financial Times
67. Chicago is home to nearly 900 foreign-based companies. Source: WBC
68. Chicago is home one of the largest diplomatic communities in the United States, representing 89 countries. Source: WBC
69. Chicago is home to almost 100 international and ethnic Chambers of Commerce and international trade-based organizations. Source: WBC
70. Chicago is a leading global city, with 29 Sister Cities around the world. Source: WBC
71. Chicago enjoys global strategic economic development partnerships with China, Japan, Mexico City, Mexico, London, England, Tel-Aviv, Israel, and Paris, France. Source: WBC
72. Chicago was the first city on a tour for the Obama Portraits. Source
73. CPS offers 6 of the Top 10 of the state's public high schools. Source: U.S. News
74. Building on Chicago's foundation of quantum technology, the NSF provided $25M to study the intersection with biology. Source: University of Chicago
75. Chicago is home to two out of five new National Quantum Information Science Research Centers by the Department of Energy. Source: University of Chicago
76.  Chicago is one of the few cities in the U.S. to have local access to all three major global cloud services. Source: Cushman & Wakefield 2021 Global Data Center Market Comparison
77. The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center and Chicago Quantum Exchange launched Duality, the nation’s first accelerator program dedicated to quantum startups. Source: Chicago Quantum Exchange
78. In 2021, 28 Energy and Cleantech companies completed raises. Source: WBCRC, Pitchbook
79. Chicago offers more than 200 miles of bike lanes and 26 miles of open lakefront with separate bike and running paths. Source: City of Chicago
80. CoinFlip expanded into a new headquarters at the Old Post Office. Source: REJournals
81. Toronto company, Salt Experiential Commerce, recently named Chicago to be its U.S. headquarters. Source: WBC
82. Elements Global Services recently announced the move of its global headquarters from Spain to Chicago. Source: WBC
83. USXpress just signed a 10-year lease for a space over five times bigger. Source: Crain's Chicago Business
84. Regal Mile Studios recieved planning approval for a 7 acre studio, hosting up to 1,500 daily workers in South Shore. Source: Chicago Tribune
85. The Chicago Fire plans to invest over $120M in facilities in Austin and Hermosa. Source: Business Journals
86. Cisco is relocating their Midwest Hub to the Old Post Office, bringing 1,200 jobs. Source: Chicago Tribune
87. TDL Tech firm Loadsmart is relocating their headquarters from New York to Chicago. Source: Crain's Chicago Business
88. WM Reply, UK-based arm of Italian tech company Reply, selected Chicago as its U.S. headquarters. Source: WBC
89. Solvd Health recently announced relocation of its corporate headquarters from Carlsbad, California to Chicago. Source: Crain’s article 
90. Talis Biomedical, which recently enjoyed an IPO, announced the relocation of significant operations from Silicon Valley to Chicago. Source:  Real Estate Journal article
91. Portal Innovations recently opened its Fulton Labs space, fueling life-science breakthroughs with human, financial, and physical capital. Source: Press release
92. Prysm Institute, an accelerator for healthcare, life science, and technology companies, recently launched in Chicago. Source: Press
93. Danish Pharmaceutical firm, Orphazyme, recently named Chicago as its U.S. headquarters. Source: Press
94. Paragon Biosciences continues to grow its portfolio in Chicago, including Emalex, and the recently launched CiRC Biosciences. Source: Press
95. Evozyne, a molecular engineering start-up, continues to grow and expand in Chicago. Source: Press
96. Medline is quadrupling the size of their River North office. Source: Crain's Chicago Business
97. Tegus, after relocating their HQ from San Francisco, is tripling their space and hiring 200 in 2021. Source: Crain's Chicago Business
98. In February 2021, homegrown financial firm, TastyTrade, was acquired for $1 billion. Source: Chicago Business Journal
99. Discover Financial Services committed to bringing 1,000 jobs to its Chatham call center inside a former big box store. Source: Press
100. Redevelopment is now underway for The Terminal, a Humboldt Park urban work campus for creatives located in an  INVEST South/West community. Source: Press
101. Chicago Transit Authority named #1 transit agency in the U.S.. “Few transit agencies in the United States have made more progress in modernizing their system over the past several years than the Chicago Transit Authority.” Source: CTA, July 2021
102. We believe in:
     • Every person’s right to vote
     • Protecting reproductive rights
     • Science to fight COVID-19
103. World Business Chicago mayoral delegation to Silicon Valley in July has opened up many new opportunities.