San Francisco's Startup in Residence (STIR) Program

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San Francisco's Startup in Residence (STIR) Program was a 16-week program that ran from 2013-2019. The program connected startup companies with government agencies to co-create technology solutions for local governments.
What are the main aims and objectives?

The main goal of San Francisco's Startup in Residence (STIR) program was to facilitate collaboration between startups and government agencies to co-create and implement innovative technology solutions that can improve the quality of life for citizens. The program aimed to help startups gain access to government agencies and work together to tackle civic challenges, while also providing government agencies with access to new technology solutions and ideas. The ultimately the program intended to make local government more efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs of the community. 

How does the program work?

Over 16 weeks, City agencies and startups worked together to co-develop custom solutions that address real civic challenges. With direct and ongoing access to government needs, opportunities, staff, expertise and pain points, startup entrepreneurs were able to develop solutions and share innovative processes with the City's various Departments, while having the chance to develop products and services which cater to the $140 plus billion public sector market. 

The program was structured as an incubator and connects startups with experience mentors with each startup finding a department to sponsor their work. The 16 weeks concluded with a Demo Day and Roadshow at hich findings and developments are shared with the public. Thereafter, STIR’s expedited procurement process allows interested cities to contract startups after the 16 week residency. 

What is the overall cost?
There is no available information on the total running cost of the STIR program. 
How was it implemented?

STIR was founded in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation and was later administered by City Innovate, a public-benefit corporation located in San Francisco.  

TIMELINE: 

2014: The program began as a pilot initiative, Entrepreneurship in Residence. 

2015: The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded a three-year grant to scale Startup in Residence in four Bay Area cities: Oakland, San Francisco, San Leandro, and West Sacramento. 

2018: The San Francisco program partnered with the City Innovate Foundation to expand to 11 cities across the United States.  

2019: Beyond cities, STIR includes counties, regional governments and states, such as the Miami-Dade County in Florida, the State of Arizona, and State of Vermont. 

What impact has been measured?

City Innovate shared the following cumulative results from STIR participating governments participating (i.e. not just San Francisco):  

Metrics:  

  • 86 innovative technology companies participated in STIR 

  • More than 1000 innovative technology companies applied to government challenges 

  • 38 governments used STIR to facilitate a procurement 

  • 80 percent of government/vendor partnerships initiated through the STIR program resulted in a contract 

Impact:  

  • Economic Development: STIR vendors have raised more than $250M in investments, created thousands of jobs and had three acquisitions.  

  • Inclusiveness: More than 50% of STIR vendors receiving contracts are from under-represented communities. 

What lessons can be learned?

For city departments, this approach brings the potential for new products and services which lower costs, increase revenue, and/or enhance productivity. 

The program is structured as a replicable and scalable model to build networks of City Governments that accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge innovations in technology services to the public sector and expand entrepreneurial and investment opportunities. 

CURATED BY

Cristina Fernandez

Director for Knowledge + Programming
Global Entrepreneurship Network
United States