Venturing Out: Atlanta
Atlanta’s startup scene is experiencing a moment
It is no secret that the Southeastern U.S. is growing rapidly as a destination for startups of all shapes and sizes. While many startup hubs plant their proverbial flag, Atlanta is by far the city experiencing the biggest ‘moment’ of them all.
When I first arrived in Nashville in 2017, I set out to visit over a dozen cities across the Southeast to learn more about the region’s startup activity. In every city, I had at least a handful of meetings with founders who mentioned Atlanta as the big, nearby metropolis filled with resources. The way in which available capital, talent, and infrastructure was described by each founder made Atlanta sound like the reliable well in the midst of a desert.
It wasn’t until 2018 when I finally made my way to Atlanta, just a four-hour drive from Nashville (with Chattanooga conveniently located at the half-way point). Since then, I’ve visited countless times for meetings, conferences, and various events hosted by local startup programs. In fact, I write this from the comfort of my Airbnb in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta.
Yes, the well is not only reliable, but it is — in many regards — filling rapidly, with fruits coming to bear. I attribute this success to a complex and well-coordinated network of stakeholders who are moving the city forward with entrepreneurship and innovation at heart. This includes departments within the City of Atlanta, local universities including Georgia Tech, physical workspaces and programming powered by Atlanta Tech Village and ATDC, local corporations as value-add LPs in Engage and Techstars Atlanta, and, and, and… the list goes on and on. (Not to mention the opposite of brain-drain — talent with personal ties to Atlanta are moving back en masse. Remote workers are driving a big chunk of this, and Atlanta is growing because of it.)
With the annual Venture Atlanta conference around the corner, it is worth reinforcing how well-coordinated the local startup ecosystem builders truly are. Just take a look at this stacked week of annual events, making it that much easier for non-local investors and founders to participate.
I’m barely scratching the surface here. To summarize, Atlanta is experiencing a real moment, and I don’t foresee it coming to an end anytime soon. I will continue to visit often, both with my investor hat on with Mucker Capital and MuckerLab, and with my Southeast ecosystem builder hat with #BuildInSE. I hope to see you there.
Are you a startup founder looking for the right capital partner? Email me.
Are you a startup founder, investor, or mentor looking to connect with the Southeast more broadly? Say hello!
