The Southeast’s largest and most prestigious venture capital conference, Venture Atlanta, has launched several area unicorns and helped startups raised $6.5 billion in funding to date.
91 new companies selected to present on the stage in 2021 will look to continue that momentum.
CEO Allyson Eman said this group — selected from a record 400 applicants — is “raising of the bar in terms of presenter innovation and quality.”
Growth-stage companies include Atlanta’s PadSplit, Saltbox, Apptega, CoreView, FIXD, and brr, among others.
Local seed-stage companies selected include Ubuntoo, LoCo+, JTEC Energy, Impiricus, Healthy Hip Hop, GABA, Funding U, Makeswift, Focal Point, managr, and Knightley.
This year’s companies are led by a diverse group of founders, both in terms of background and geography. 50% of companies are led by an underrepresented founder and 60% come from outside Georgia.
Venture Atlanta credits partnerships with local organizations and firms for increasing the number of diverse founders and social entrepreneurs. “Venture Atlanta is actively forging partnerships with organizations like Launchpad2X, Zane Venture Fund, and the Next Venture Pitch in Greenville, South Carolina, to create a funnel for Venture Atlanta participation. There are great companies across the Southeast and we need help finding them, so partnering with these organizations helps us pave the way,” CEO Allyson Eman told Hypepotamus.
Four women-led companies from Launchpad2X’s annual pitch competition and one startup from Zane Venture Fund’s pitch-off event will join the Venture Atlanta stage.
Through the virtual panel series “Creating Momentum,” Goodie Nation, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Georgia Power helped spark local conversations in different cities about the Venture Atlanta ecosystem and attract even more talent. “Not only did [the series] provide a ton of value to the founders — leading to many of them getting selected — but we also provided a platform for startup ecosystems across the Southeast to have discussions on their community and how they are intentionally supporting diverse founders,” Goodie Nation’s Joey Womack told Hypepotamus.
A New Look For 2021
Venture Atlanta is embracing a hybrid event approach this year. For Eman, this will drive more value for both founders and investors looking to connect with the 91 selected companies.
“What we love most is that this year everyone can make the most of Venture Atlanta and truly create their own experience, in person or online. You can attend some sessions in person and then if you need some time to yourself, you can go plug in and watch pitches on your own. And, you never have to miss a pitch or a speaker, since all the content will be available on demand for a year after the event. This means that our companies can be seen repeatedly by attendees,” added Eman.
The two-day event will run end with Atlanta Startup Battle, where five startups will also compete for $100,000.
Those interesting in joining can learn more here.
