Steve Case: Startups Exist Outside Silicon Valley, Too

Entrepreneurs need to capitalize on opportunities that exist outside of Silicon Valley, startup investor Steve Case said Friday.

Case, the co-founder and former CEO of AOL (NYSE:AOL), appeared on FOX Business Network’s Risk & Reward from Nashville, Tenn., the latest stop on his “Rise of the Rest” tour to promote entrepreneurship.

The four-city tour is hosting competitions that give business owners the chance to earn a $100,000 investment. Case backs startups through his investment fund, Revolution.

“Rise of the Rest” recently visited Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, where Case said many fledging companies are in the consumer products industry. Startups in another earlier visit, Detroit, build on the city’s automotive history by developing innovations in mobility, he added.

“Business didn’t just happen in New York and Silicon Valley,” Case said, noting how many great startups don’t receive much attention from investors. “We need to have a broad view of the economy, not just focus on Silicon Valley.”

The Revolution CEO also commented on the debate over immigration. Attracting talent from overseas is “an opportunity we can seize,” he said.