Meet Chicago’s Tech 50

(Crain’s Chicago Business) – Let’s say you’ve been out of town for, oh, the last decade.

The last time you picked up Crain’s, Chicago’s economy was stung by high-tech flops from the dot-com bust. Now, though, you’re quickly sensing that there has been a shift: You learned that 13 Chicago tech companies have gone public or been acquired so far in 2012, and 17 did so last year, according to tech-community group Built in Chicago. You see that 31 digital companies here raised at least $1 million in 2012 and that 169 tech startups launched here since the beginning of 2011.

You want in. You want to launch your own startup, or work at one or invest in one. But considering you’ve been out of the loop for so long, you’re not sure where to start. Who do you need to know?

Meet Chicago’s Tech 50