TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa is cementing its place on the national tech map, with new rankings and a growing startup ecosystem pointing to a city that has moved well beyond its emerging market days.
A recent study by Lemon.IO ranked Tampa No. 20 for best tech hubs in the nation — behind Miami, which ranked fourth, and Orlando, which ranked 13th; Washington, D.C., got the top spot.
WATCH BELOW: Tampa ranks No. 20 among top tech cities in US, study says
The study measured cities across several metrics, including the number of institutions offering computer programs, average graduation rates for tech courses, the number of Wi-Fi hotspots, total tech jobs available, and the number of tech companies rated 3 stars or higher on Glassdoor.
Aleksandr Volodarsky, CEO and founder of Lemon.IO, said Tampa has carved out a distinct identity.
"Tampa specifically, I think it's great because it's a specialist hub," Volodarsky said.
"What do you think the future is for Florida in the tech world? Can we pass some of these other cities?” Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska asked.
"I don't know if it's a question of passing, but I think Florida stands well, and the talent stays there," Volodarsky said.
The Lemon.IO ranking is not the only study putting Tampa at the top. In April, WalletHub ranked Tampa the No. 1 best large city in America to start a business.
In 2025, the University of South Florida opened the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, a move rooted in the belief that Tampa is becoming the new "Cyber Bay.”
At the center of Tampa's tech growth is Embarc Collective, a nonprofit that has spent seven years building a community around tech startups. Tim Holcomb, CEO of Embarc Collective, said Tampa is attracting people from across Florida and the country to move here.
"The whole innovation landscape in Tampa is in a very, very good position," Holcomb said. "I've also gotten kind of edgy when it comes to talking about Tampa Bay as an emerging market; Tampa Bay is we're already there. We have already emerged, and in creating and building an ecosystem is a series of iterations."
Holcomb said the density of companies and talent in the region is itself a driver of further growth.
"Density is a positive thing in that the workforce sees the options that they have available to them, and they're more willing to start a company in the Bay Area; they're more willing to take that opportunity because they know if it doesn't work, they have options to go to for job opportunities in the region," Holcomb said.
"If you have a culture and a mindset where people will support you, is it more likely that we'll continue to have that innovation and people will take that risk?" Paluska asked.
"It's learning how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The very nature of startups is, as a founder, at least, that they're doing something new, and that they're in doing something new that creates a natural discomfort," Holcomb said. "And I firmly believe being a part of a community, Tampa, generally, and being a part of a community like here at Embarc Collective, provides founders that opportunity over time to learn how to address the energy that comes from the uncertainty."
Holcomb said the opening of the Bellini College will only deepen that ecosystem.
"Circulation produces density. Density produces options, and I think what we see with the Bellini School, the talent that comes out has options," Holcomb said.
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