Atlanta’s startup ecosystem is thriving, producing successful new businesses across a variety of sectors: fintech, healthcare, digital security and entertainment, to name just a few. In addition to being home for many large companies, the world’s busiest airport and an established network of successful entrepreneurs, Atlanta has several advantages that aspiring entrepreneurs should consider and leverage:
a growing VC support, that is no longer monopolized by the Silicon Valley: nowadays, venture capitalists don’t care where you are, they do care that you have a good product or solution and successful track record; since before the year 2000, more money has been coming in to support startups in Atlanta, through a number of strong VCs based in the city, such as Atlanta Ventures, BIP Capital, and Moseley Ventures, to name just a few; if you have a great idea, chances are, you can get access to the funding you need, either locally or from another source;
a favorable purchasing power, compared to the very expensive Silicon Valley, where, in the high-density, tech and startup powerhouse, costs are high regardless of what you do. In Atlanta, your funding goes much further, cost of living is lower, and you can get unique support from incubators and accelerators and the proliferation of co-working spaces
a captive, well-educated and stable workforce with a readily available pipeline of new skilled talent: unlike in Silicon Valley where people are hopping from one job to another for the next big thing, the cycle time is longer and more forgiving in Atlanta; this means you get to keep a longer-tenured, stable workforce. The diversity of industry in Atlanta means there is plenty of seasoned talent available, in addition to the pipeline of talent coming from great local and regional universities, like Georgia Tech or Emory University.
a huge addressable market, as Atlanta is home to more than 20 Fortune 1000 headquarters and is a transportation and logistics hub for the United States and the world. For several industry and market segment, the scale of the addressable market is considerable. As a bonus, when you break into these flagship clients, you will earn instant credibility with future clients, too. More importantly, the businesses based here span a variety of industries, which is great news for startups. No matter your idea or the industry it serves, chances are, Atlanta has available partners to help you get your idea off the ground and a ready-made customer base.
It is worth noting that Forbes ranked Atlanta 3rd among the Top 10 rising US cities for Startups in 2018, highlighting a cost of doing business that is 7% below the national average. According to the Kauffman Foundation, Atlanta’s rate of entrepreneurship ranks among the highest in the US, with a record of $1.2 billion in VC investment in 2017 – major VC deals being Kabbage, Rubicon Global and AirWatch.
In brief, Atlanta is becoming one of the most vibrant places in the US for entrepreneurs, and you definitely should consider it especially if you are seeking innovation in the fields of fintech, healthcare, digital security and entertainment and many others. If you wish to know more, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].
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