Hello Friend, Let‘s Explore West Virginia‘s Rising Tech Sector

You‘ve likely heard plenty about declining coal jobs and economic uncertainty in my home state of West Virginia. And those longstanding challenges in the Mountain State remain an everyday reality for many hardworking folks seeking to provide for their families.

But there‘s another story emerging here that you might not know much about — the quiet rise of a fast-growing technology sector creating exciting, high-paying jobs.

Already, major players are choosing to call West Virginia home. And with our state‘s specialized talent, cost advantages and loyalty, many believe we‘re poised to become America‘s next rising hub for technology innovation.

Curious to learn more? Let me walk you through an in-depth examination of the pioneers, data and trajectory of the tech industry putting down roots and thriving from the Appalachian Mountains to the Ohio River Valley.

An Expanding List of Homegrown Industry Leaders

West Virginia hosts a widening base of successful homegrown tech firms earning tens of millions in annual revenue. They‘re not household names — yet. But make no mistake, respected consultancies like KeyLogic, Fusion Technology and NextGen Federal Systems represent the vanguard of our state‘s tech sector.

Let‘s get to know a few of these industry leaders a little better.

KeyLogic – Empowering Critical Missions Through Advanced Technologies

KeyLogic specializes in data analytics, cybersecurity, software engineering and other digital solutions primarily for federal defense, energy and space exploration customers.

With 700+ workers, KeyLogic tops all West Virginia tech companies in headcount and revenue. But it‘s their critical missions that really stand out — like analyzing classified data to inform national security operations, building complex algorithms to detect nuclear threats, and even helping NASA advance space exploration.

No wonder the employee-owned firm reports an extremely high 97% year-over-year client retention rate. "We have to be incredibly responsive delivering mission-critical solutions to customers like DoD and NASA," says KeyLogic CEO Burman Porter. "I think that wartime mentality and ownership culture drives excellent client service and cutting edge innovation."

Porter believes KeyLogic demonstrates West Virginia‘s strong potential as a regional tech hub. "Our state‘s wealth of engineering talent, security clearance pedigree, and appetite for hands-on problem solving perfectly positions companies like KeyLogic to keep high value technical work anchored in West Virginia," he explains.

Fusion Technology – Trusted Innovator for Healthcare, Government and Enterprise Clients

Named 2021‘s fastest growing company in North Central West Virginia by WV Executive Magazine, Fusion Technology delivers software development, cloud hosting, data analytics and cybersecurity services to commercial industries and government agencies from the state capital of Charleston all the way to Washington DC.

"We have some of the most talented, dedicated and entrepreneurial minds right here in West Virginia, as evidenced by our renowned engineering programs at WVU and Marshall," says Founder and CEO Vijay Kundoor. "The foundations for innovation have always been present — perhaps now business leaders will start fully realizing our potential as a technology leader."

Fusion prides itself on a 93% customer retention rate thanks to strong partnerships over transactional engagements. The company leverages its expertise serving hospitals to improve patient experiences via workflow automation. It also holds a complex certification to perform software engineering work for top secret defense systems.

That‘s just a snapshot of two industry leaders driving tech sector momentum in West Virginia. But the list goes far deeper than that…