When one tends to think of Atlanta, southern hospitality and Georgia peaches may come to mind. However, Atlanta is quietly making a name for itself within the world of technology and creating a thriving startup ecosystem within its city limits.
According to Crunchbase, Atlanta's startup scene is expanding, as evidenced by the increasing number of companies working out of Atlanta Tech Village, which has lead to the creation of more than 6,500 jobs and has helped raise over $900 million in funding since it was founded in 2013.
Atlanta is a pulsing city with an emerging startup community. Numerous accelerators and incubators have established themselves in Atlanta providing services for talented entrepreneurs and upcoming startups to create a better world through new technology and innovation.
Below we've listed resources for some of the premier accelerators and incubators in Atlanta:
1. Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)
- Description: "ATDC is Georgia’s technology business incubator helping startups at various stages navigate the choppy waters of taking an idea from concept to product prototype to launch and ultimately to scale."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled and life science businesses
- ATDC Requirements: Georgia based startups and entrepreneurs can apply via three levels of membership
- ATDC Deal Terms: Two programs are available to help prepare founders for raising capital
- Notable ATDC Alumni: Salesloft, Rimidi, Trust Stamp, Road Sync, ThingTech, Clean Hands Safe Hands, and more
2. Atlanta Tech Village
- Description: “This program is a pre-accelerator that will help diverse founders hurdle any obstacles preventing them from getting to the next level by providing space to work with like-minded individuals, advice from seasoned professionals, and educational workshops to strengthen skills. At the end of this 4-Month Program our goal is to get participating startups a seed investment, pilot with an enterprise company, and/or spot in an accelerator program."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Technology focused company with proprietary software
- Atlanta Tech Village Requirements: Women or person of color with a a functional product: MVP, beta or launched (Past idea stage) who raised less than $150K
- Atlanta Tech Village Deal Terms: Membership at Atlanta Tech Village that provides mentorship and advisement services and curriculum centered around in depth topics relating to growing a sustainable business.
3. Atlanta Tech Park
- Description: "Atlanta Tech Park founded by Robin Bienfait is a collaborative workspace with membership designed to promote growth. Our diverse membership of executives and entrepreneurs provides access to connect and innovate. Robin and her team can be available for consultation. Our accelerator programs are designed around you to fit your specific business model and needs.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled and life science businesses
- Atlanta Tech Park Requirements: Gain access to their resources and thriving ecosystem of companies via three monthly membership options
- Atlanta Tech Park Deal Terms: Member only access to a co-working and event space plus a network of investors including financial one-on-one consultations to develop a plan tailored to your business
4. Atlanta Ventures Studio
- Description: "Atlanta Ventures Studio supports outstanding founders, from the beginning, to build companies from scratch. We are leveraging a repeatable framework/process to help create a unique experience for entrepreneurs to learn and increase odds of success. Support is provided in terms of startup resources, mentoring, community, office space, and financial considerations."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: They have an exclusive focus on tech or tech enabled subscription companies in the Southeast region of Atlanta
- Atlanta Ventures Studio Requirements: Georgia based early stage entrepreneurs that want to commit full-time to building a business (vs. just an advisory role) ideally with previous startup experience.
- Atlanta Ventures Studio Deal Terms: They invest in early stage subscription companies with <$1M annual recurring revenue <$1M previous capital raised <$1M target for current capital raise and 10+ unaffiliated paying customers. They typically lead or fill the entire first round with an investment of $250K to $1M
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Notable Atlanta Ventures Studio Alumni: Pardot, Rigor, SalesLoft and Terminus and more
5. Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management
- Description: “EEVM is the premier entrepreneurship organization at Emory University. Our goal for EEVM is to connect Emory Students with the resources needed to make their venture succeed.EEVM's Excellerator is a 10-week entrepreneurial incubator where participants are coached to take their startup ideas to the next level.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- EEVM Requirements: Emory University College students who wish to pursue entrepreneurship
- EEVM Deal Terms: They provide resources, support, and mentorship opportunities, startup capital and marketing consultancy
6. Emory Startup Launch
- Description: "Emory Startup Launch accelerator program is offered to guide early stage founders through a defined process that will help teams rapidly take their ideas and test them with customers to discard, change and build a business model to move the startup forward. The program is open to the entire Emory community, to help build and enhance the Emory student/faculty/staff/alumni entrepreneurial spirit by helping create successful startups."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- Emory Startup Launch Requirements: Grant program for Emory University college students seeking to become startup founders
- Emory Startup Launch Deal Terms: The program accepts a maximum team size of four members with at least one member of the team being a current Emory student, alumni, faculty or staff member. The program instructor chooses participating teams. Preference will be given to healthcare related startups
7. Engage
- Description: “Engage is a strategic investor that invests in companies selected for the Engage Go-To-Market Program. Engage deploys both capital and enterprise expertise to help startups breakthrough corporate barriers and operate at full speed.Engage’s aim is to establish Atlanta as the best place in the country for an enterprise-focused startup to do business.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: B2B enterprise technology companies
- Engage Requirements: Founders and entrepreneurs with the potential to reshape the future of industries
- Engage Deal Terms: They recruit early stage all tech or tech enabled B2B enterprise startups
- Notable Enage Alumni: Cypress, Pointivo, UserIQ, Achieveit, and Salesfusion and more
8. EO Atlanta:
- Description: “The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 14,000+ influential business owners with 198 chapters in 61 countries. Founded in 1987, The Accelerator Program is the catalyst that enables first-stage entrepreneurs to catapult their business to the next level and beyond.
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Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- EO Atlanta Requirements: Must be the founder or co-founder of a company that grosses more than US$1 million annually.
- EO Atlanta Terms: Members gain access to Forum training and meetings, chapter and Global events, and a wide variety of other exclusive benefits. Fees include both chapter and global dues in one annual membership payment. Global dues are currently US $2470 plus a one-time US $2500 initiation fee, and are prorated based on the fiscal quarter you join.
9. Founder Institute Atlanta (pre-seed accelerator)
- Description: The Founder Institute works with entrepreneurs and teams in the pre-seed stage, typically before they are advanced enough to gain acceptance into a seed-accelerator program. The program helps you build an enduring business by providing Atlanta startup experts that are invested in your success, and a structured business-building process that has helped alumni raise over $1.75BN.
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses.
- Founder Institute Requirements: Both solo founders and teams at the pre-seed stage are welcome, including those at the idea or very early-stages of a company (including pre-incorporation). If your company has significant funding, traction, or revenue, then you are probably too advanced for the Founder Institute and should consider applying to the seed-accelerators on this list.
- Founder Institute Deal Terms: To create a strong support network, participants join an "Equity Collective" where they contribute 4% of their company to a shared pool. Any financial returns to this pool are then shared equally with each cohort's alumni, the program mentors, Local Leaders, and Founder Institute.
- Notable Founder Institute Alumni: Udemy, Acudeen, Appota, Ovamba, Realty Mogul, TravelCar, and more.
10. Georgia Tech Venture Lab
- Description: “We work with faculty and students to create startups based on Georgia Tech research using evidence-based entrepreneurship."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- Georgia Tech Venture Lab Requirements: Students and faculty enrolled at Georgia Tech University
- Georgia Tech Venture Lab Deal Terms: Georgia Research Alliance provides grant funding for early-stage startups, as well as loans and equity investments for companies that have demonstrated a viable business model.
- Notable Georgia Tech Venture Lab Alumni: Spaceworks, GrubblyFarms, Clearside Biomedical, and more
11. Start:Me
- Description: Start:ME is a free small business training program that provides entrepreneurs the tools and connections necessary to build and grow successful businesses.
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Small business within all business sectors
- Start:Me Requirements: Start:ME serves entrepreneurs who live in, work in, and/or provide valuable products to the local community. Start:ME operates in three metro Atlanta communities – Clarkston, East Lake area, and Southside Atlanta. Applicants should apply to the one community to which they have the strongest connection
- Start:Me Deal Terms: Start:Me provides access to mentors and capital providers and grants for promising ventures
- Notable Start:Me Alumni: Veoleo, SoulFull Catering, Timeless Framework, Delightful Sites and more
12. TechSquare Labs
- Description: “TechSquare Labs was founded with the mission to create opportunities for tech entrepreneurs to build something from nothing."
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- TechSquare Labs Requirements: Apply for more details
- TechSquare Labs Deal Terms: They provide resources and access to seasoned mentors and active VC investors from Atlanta and Silicon Valley
- Notable TechSquare Labs Alumni: BigHive, Captiv8, Carbice, Career Karma, Greenlight, and more
13. Techstars Atlanta
- Description: “Techstars is a mentor driven accellerator program for startup founders and entrepreneurs. Since 2006, we’ve worked with startups across a range of verticals, from aerospace, to finance, to logistics, to retail, connecting them to a network of successful mentors and partners.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- Techstars Atlanta Requirements: Entrepreneurs and founders of early-stage startups
- Techstars Atlanta Deal Terms: Upon acceptance to a Techstars Accelerator, Techstars contributes $20,000, which is commonly used as a stipend to support living expenses during the program, and in return receives 6% equity of the company until the company raises a priced equity financing of US $250,000 or more. However, if a company conducts a Network Launch using distributed ledger technology, then Techstars will also receive 6% of the Token Reserve. In addition, all accepted companies are offered a $100,000 convertible note.
- Notable Techstars Atlanta Alumni: Sendgrid, Digital Ocean, Zipline, Outreach, Pillpack and more
14. The Farm
- Description: “The Farm invests in early-stage startups because this is where we believe we can have the most value. Our goal is to give founders the tools they need to grow and flourish. The goal of our startup accelerator is not simply to provide the shortest distance between an idea and funding, but to support entrepreneurs in building successful, sustainable, investable companies.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses
- The Farm Requirements: Early stage startups
- The Farm Deal Terms: Founders receive cash, resources, and help along the way in exchange for 7% equity.
- Notable Farm Alumni: Civic Eagle, Last Bottle Clothing, Optikal, Rapid Replay, The Labz and more
