Influence to techno = proto techno.

See also: Kraftwerk, Italo disco, Euro disco, Synth-pop, New romantic, Electro music, Electronic music, and Yellow Magic Orchestra

Kraftwerk: Computer World (1981), first popularized in the U.S. by radio station WLBS-FM, "Detroit’s version of New York’s disco WBLS".

In exploring techno's origins writer Kodwo Eshun maintains that "Kraftwerk are to Techno what Muddy Waters is to the Rolling Stones: the authentic, the origin, the real."Juan Atkins has acknowledged that he had an early enthusiasm for Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, particularly Moroder's work with Donna Summer and the producer's own album E=MC². Atkins also mentions that "around 1980 I had a tape of nothing but Kraftwerk, Telex, Devo, Giorgio Moroder and Gary Numan, and I'd ride around in my car playing it." Atkins has also claimed he was unaware of Kraftwerk's music prior to his collaboration with Rick Davis, which was two years after he had first started experimenting with electronic instruments. Regarding his initial impression of Kraftwerk, Atkins notes that they were "clean and precise" relative to the "weird UFO sounds" featured in his seemingly "psychedelic" music.

Derrick May identified the influence of Kraftwerk and other European synthesizer music in commenting that "it was just classy and clean, and to us it was beautiful, like outer space. Living around Detroit, there was so little beauty… everything is an ugly mess in Detroit, and so we were attracted to this music. It, like, ignited our imagination!" May has commented that he considered his music a direct continuation of the European synthesizer tradition. Kevin Saunderson has also acknowledged the influence of Europe but he claims to have been more inspired by the idea of making music with electronic equipment: "I was more infatuated with the idea that I can do this all myself." Beyond Europe, another influence was Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra (1978–83), whose music has been described as "proto-techno" and who had used the term "techno" for several songs, particularly "Technopolis" (1979), which is considered an "interesting contribution" to the development of Detroit techno, was a tribute to Tokyo as an electronic mecca, and foreshadowed concepts that Atkins and Davis would later have with Cybotron.
Techno is a specific sub-genre of electronic music that originated in the early 80's.

Start off and understand the differences between Electronica, Electronic Music, EDM - and then try to understand what Techno is and read the wikipedia page on it, understand that techno originated from detroit and that it is a specific sub genre not a catch all phrase. Many use the term incorrectly which can make it all the more confusing when the blind is leading the blind.

people always bring up kraftwerk and brian eno , etc.. but they need to think more about the question.. asking when Techno began is not asking when electronic music began.

The initial blueprint for techno developed during the mid-1980s in Belleville, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit by Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May (the so-called Belleville Three), and Eddie Fowlkes, all of whom attended school together at Belleville High. By the close of the 1980s, the four had recorded and released material under various guises: Atkins as Model 500, Flintstones, and Magic Juan; Fowlkes simply as Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes; Saunderson as Reese, Keynotes, and Kaos; with May as Mayday, R-Tyme, and Rhythim Is Rhythim. There were also a number of joint ventures, the most commercially successful of which was "Big Fun," the first single by Saunderson's group Inner City; it was produced by Saunderson, mixed by Atkins, re-edited by Saunderson & May, and co-written by Saunderson with vocalist Paris Grey, and fellow DJs James Pennington and Arthur Forest

"Tomorrow never Knows" The song has since become known as a masterpiece of electronic music and one of the most influential dance tracks of all time.

” “Was Dog a Doughnut” is one of the first electro or techno-pop songs ever recorded, as well as an early example of hip hop music.”