10 Reasons Atlanta is a Great Startup City

I am a rare breed. I was actually born and raised in Atlanta. Weird, right? Seems like most folks have relocated to Atlanta for many of the same reasons I have chosen to continue living here- it’s a great city, capable of great things. At Atlanta Tech Village we love this place so much we put it in our name and part of our mission is to fuel Atlanta’s rise to a top 5 tech startup center in the US. Honestly? We don’t think it will be that hard.Here are 10 reason’s why Atlanta is a great startup city and a hotbed for innovation and growth:

1. Encompassing $304 billion, the Atlanta metro area is the 8th largest economy in the country & 17th largest in the world.
2. Atlanta recently made No. 5 on Forbes list of best cities for female founders.
3. Atlanta was one of the top 10 cities for tech company acquisitions in 2012.
4. In March the Senate passed House Bill 318 which will extend state tax credits to "angel investors" through 2015 and create a $100 million venture capital fund in Georgia.
5. For 3 years in a row, Atlanta is the #1 place in the country that people moved to. With affordable housing and a low cost of living, Atlantans get more and spend less.
6. Atlanta contains the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Delta, AT&T and UPS.
7. Atlanta is 7th in student enrollment among America’s largest urban areas and 6th in annual college grads.
8. There are more than 57 colleges and universities located within the Atlanta region  including Georgia Tech, Emory and Georgia State University, not to mention the Bulldogs close by in Athens.
9. Atlanta was ranked No. 1 among medium-sized cities (city limit population of 250,000 – 500,000) for young entrepreneurs in 2013. Ranking was based on local resources, culture, atmosphere and overall appeal to a twenty-something to open shop for a new company.
10. Only five U.S. metro areas totaled higher education research spending of $1 billion or more in 2005. Atlanta was one of them.