Spotlight on Innovation: Atlanta Startup Village #95 Welcomes Four Dynamic Tech Startups

How is your startup Paying it Forward?

The Village is all about paying it forward. Whether we are attending Community Bucket’s Tech Gives Back days or giving the proceeds of Pitch Atlanta to Girls Who Code, we are here to make Atlanta a better place for all people. We’ve all seen the ads with purpose, the ones that give you a cause, and if you’re anything like me you will end up on their website ordering something that you may or may not need. Studies show that consumers are 87% more likely to shop from a brand with purpose. People are more likely to show “brand love” if they see the cause, that means free marketing for your brand & product. “Beyond positive word of mouth, consumers of purpose-driven companies are taking their megaphones to social media. 68% percent of Americans say they are more willing to share content from Purpose-driven companies with their social networks over that of traditional companies.”

Make Your Best Pitch

Every word should be meaningful. Distillation adds power to a presentation. You know the general guidelines about holding decks to 15 slides or so; if your concept can’t be explained in those confines, chances are you need to rethink what you are attempting to do.We all know someone who, when asked the time, will tell you how to build a watch. Don’t be that person. Be sensitive to your allotted start time and end time, read the rhythm and body language of your audience, whether one person or one hundred, and adjust accordingly. If you get interrupted with questions, deal with them without losing the direction of your presentation. Brevity is your friend in those situations. If you get sucked too deep into the weeds and never finish your end-to-end message, your moment is lost.

Pitch Atlanta Recap

Investors from across the country descended on Atlanta this past April 15th for our inaugural Pitch Atlanta event. This sold out, invite-only gathering at Atlanta Tech Village connected 20 of the best local startups with 82 accredited investors from across the nation. “At the Village, we’ve created an ecosystem of support and inspiration that promotes faster connections between talent, ideas, and capital,” said Karen Houghton, Vice President of Atlanta Tech Village, the fourth largest tech hub in the United States.“ Pitch Atlanta is our way of showcasing to investors from across the country what the Atlanta startup community has to offer while amplifying opportunities for top-tier Atlanta startups seeking seed or Series A funding.” The idea for Pitch Atlanta was to facilitate dialogue between twenty early-stage startups and vetted investors in an intimate, fun, and authentic setting. In fact, the daylong experience stayed true to Atlanta’s southern hospitality roots, with a warm, accessible, and welcoming vibe. Houghton and David Lightburn, President and Co-founder of Atlanta Tech Village, served as lively and entertaining hosts and some of the best tech names in Atlanta came to speak and share their stories and insights.

Remembering Michael Horten

Every Friday, Atlanta Tech Village Advisors meet with our startups to offer their wisdom and experience, at no price. We ask that they come at least once a month. Michael Horten was a beloved Advisor who came more often than required and was a consistent, trusted, and joy-filled presence.Michael Horten was born in Copenhagen, Denmark but eventually ended up in the US to practice law and grow his wonderful family. Michael spent 25 years at the firm of King & Spalding where he retired to start HortenCC. HortenCC is a corporate law firm specializing in the representation of entrepreneurial growth companies of all sizes from inception through exit, along with the investors that finance them. Michael believed in entrepreneurs so much so that his company served startups at an affordable cost as a pay it forward initiative.

ANNOUNCING ATLANTA STARTUP VILLAGE #67

If you haven’t attended an Atlanta Startup Village, then you are missing the largest monthly gathering of entrepreneurs in the Southeast. A simple format of free beer, 30 minutes of networking, and local startups giving five-minute pitches draws 300+ people each month, with another 150+ watching live stream. It’s an incredible event that brings together the Atlanta tech community and gives an up-close look at some of the technology coming out of our city. You should join us.Make sure you join the meetup page and check out the details below. We hope to see you there!

Graduating? Think Startups.

Fear not, grad! You are coming into the world at a great time as unemployment rates are down and companies ARE HIRING! So the question is- what now? Many graduates will pack a briefcase and hit the interview trail for the steady paycheck and generic cubical. It is pretty parallel to taking a lion out of Africa and sticking him in the zoo. Why have we let this be our norm?

Countdown to Pitch Atlanta

Pitch Atlanta is a one-day experience that connects 20 of the best early-stage local startups with top-tier investors from all over the nation through a dynamic and exclusive event at Atlanta Tech Village. The conference will feature 20 startups, 75 investors, and 35 community influencers. Proceeds from Pitch Atlanta benefit Girls Who Code, an international non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does.

Selling Equity To Launch Your Startup

How much equity should you sell in the first round of funding? Well, that depends.Some entrepreneurs have the money to launch their startups and build value while retaining all the equity. Obviously, this is ideal. Don't give up equity unless you have to! But if you choose to pursue funding to launch your startup, get your expectations right on how much equity you will ultimately own.

Internet of (Every) Things

The phrase was coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999 but in reality, the idea dates back even further in time. The Internet of Things is the communication or the exchange of data between physical items that have an on/off switch and connect to the internet. Data is collected and shared to other connected devices through sensors and without human interference. IoT currently encompasses about 20 billion devices from pills to jets to coffee machines and most things in between. In the next few years, an estimated 50 billion devices will be online and interacting with one another. While IoT may seem like a buzz word, the facts are, it is destined to have more of an impact on your everyday life than you may think. The Internet is more available and affordable than it ever has been and most devices have WiFi capabilities. In 2018, 89% of the adult US population (ages 18+) accessed the internet. This means that IoT is ready to explode.

ANNOUNCING ATLANTA STARTUP VILLAGE #66

The Pillar of Trust

Trust. It sounds basic and simple yet it is a pillar of any good business especially a startup. A company that builds trust within the business and then extends that to customers is headed in the right direction. In fact, according to international keynote speaker, Marcus Sheridan, trust is the foundation for 7 ways content can drastically move the sales and marketing needle.

The Village Announces new WOMEN + TECH Programming

March is Women's History Month so we decided it was the perfect time to launch our new initiative for women in tech. Ladies, are you listening? The Women + Tech Program was created for YOU to support and inspire you as leaders, builders, and influencers of the Atlanta startup community. Our mission is to empower women in tech through a kick-ass network, intentional teaching, and purposeful community because it does take a Village.