We already have Silicon Valley and London's Tech Roundabout but soon we'll be adding Blueseed's off-shore, visa-free of startup community to our list of tech and startup incubator.
Blueseed last year proposed a floating startup community that would be anchored half an hour (12 miles) from Silicon Valley. The ship would stay in international waters outside the jurisdiction of the United States and would be visa-free, meaning you wouldn't need any kind of special work permit or visa to live and work there.
Today it has emerged that quite a few startups are interested in working aboard Blueseed. According to a new report released by Blueseed, there are more than 130 companies interested in taking up residence on the ship. More than 20 percent of these interested parties originate from the U.S., while the second biggest chunk of interest comes from India at more than 10 percent.
Though the idea behind Blueseed is to allow entrepreneurs and startups to set up camp near Silicon Valley without the difficulties of trying to obtain a U.S. visa, that isn't the main reason for interest according to the survey's respondents. Apparently, the majority (nearly 53 percent) listed "Living and working in an awesome startup- and technology-oriented space" as a factor of critical importance when considering a move to Blueseed. Second most important was the proximity to Silicon Valley investors (more than 36 percent), while third was the coolness factor of the whole thing. In fact, an alternative to getting U.S. visas came in at second to last on the list of important factors (24.6 percent).
Blueseed plans to launch the Blueseed startup incubator next year, but interested companies are ready to move in right away. More than 36 percent of the survey respondents said they'd move in immediately if the ship was ready. An overwhelming 67 percent of respondents would be ready to move in six months or less.
Despite all this interest, entrepreneurs and startups will have to wait until late 2013 before they can get inboard the Blueseed. The ship isn't scheduled to launch until Q3 2013. When it does, it will cost $1600 per person to live and work on board.
I know right. This whole thing sounds good in theory, but when has that ever mattered in the real world?
I also imagine it would be nice......for the first few months then you gotta start dealing with reality.
$1600 per person to live on ship? What is that a month, week, day? No way that's going to pay the keep the lights on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Ship
If that is 'per month' it would be one hell of a deal. Try renting anything in the San Francisco / San Jose area!
And what will be the main spoken language on board of this Slave Boat? Let me guess... Chinese? no, too expensive, Kannada? or perhaps Tamil? No, wait, I hear Vietnamese coders are the least expensive...
Might be cool for a month or two. The commute would be hard to beat. But then, consider that you'd be living with all your co-workers! Your boss could literally hound you 24/7!
Wireless will reach 12 miles over flat ocean pretty easily with a 3 foot dish on each end.
I'm just wondering how all these businesses will fare when a massive storm capsizes the boat.
Countries run by taxing income predominantly from their most successful. They use this money to help create the next set of successful people by purchasing education for them, etc.
Inhibiting taxation (eg bitcoin, tax havens like this ship) breaks this cycle. Especially when you inhibit taxation on the most successful people.
I think that if we can manage a hgih speed connection to an aircraft carrier good knows where on the ocean we can manage a connection to a ship 12 miles off shore.
As for 'no law'... The ship has to fly the flag of some country of registration and that country's law will be that law of the 'floating' land :-)
I don't see this as anything related to Tax evasion (at least not on a grand scale) but mostly a way to deal with VISA and work permit issues. Only a non-US citizen knows how difficult it can be to get the red tape worked out; and how expensive it is !