Why are there great tech companies in Pasadena that no one has heard of? Sometimes the answer is that the team is too busy building a great company to worry about generating press outside their own industry.

One example is Bluebeam. They are revolutionizing the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industries by eliminating the need for hard copy blueprints. They employ 100+ people, have substantial sales, are profitable, and have hundreds of thousands of users world-wide. Had you heard of them?

Bluebeam’s technology is phenomenal. They enable multiple contractors, architects, and engineers to share CAD-generated blueprints on tablets or iPads as PDFs. In the field. With no paper. Saving months on major construction projects. You can learn more about the products here: Bluebeam Products.

Bluebeam CEO Richard Lee

Their story is amazing. Bluebeam started as a spin-off from a JPL-focused engineering company some eight or nine years ago. They have achieved great success by building pioneering products that meet a real need. And they have done it all with minimal financing–a Pasadena Angels round years ago.

Back to the original question–why is Bluebeam so invisible? They have chosen not to focus their PR efforts on the general press. In their own space, they’ve generate 20+ articles so far in 2013 and attended many conferences around the globe. They chair the standards committee for PDF users in the AEC space. The local tech press? Only Ben Kuo from SoCalTech has noticed them. There’s a listing on CrunchBase, but that’s about it.

We could all take a lesson here–keep your head down, build a great company, and let the LA Tech Scene buzz take care of itself.

That said, we still need to put Pasadena on the map as the real tech hub it has already become. Companies like Bluebeam point out the reality. Innovate Pasadena has begun the process of making the area more visible, and you’ll be seeing more in the months to come. Stay tuned, and watch a new tech hub blossom.