In addition to being a famous tourist destination, Santa Barbara has now become a hub for new and developing businesses, said Kenny Slaught. Lots of encouraging, new companies have been shaped in recent years, and many, counting AppScale, LastLine, TrackR, and Salty Girl Seafood, have come straight out of the University of California Santa Barbara. With more than $200 million generated for area startups from private investors in the earlier year, the Central Coast claims nearly twice the investment per capita in development than the greater Los Angeles area, a much larger market. While some may feel the enthrallment of Silicon Valley or Hollywood, domestic entrepreneurs acknowledge the influence of building a business in an environment that encourages growth. So, the region is one of the best places in the country to launch and develop startups, creating outstanding biotech, medical, technology, and scientific businesses like Inogen, Raytheon, Sonos, and BioIQ.