Leading investment conference to go virtual with two days of immersive experiences and key opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs

ATLANTA (July 15, 2020) — Now more than ever, innovating businesses need access to resources in order to grow. This is why Venture Atlanta, one of the nation’s best venture capital conferences, will this year transform into Venture Atlanta Live Online in light of COVID-19. The 13th annual event will take place virtually on October 21-22. The call for presenting companies and attendee registration are now open.

Venture Atlanta Live Online will feature keynotes from Arianna Huffington, Founder of The Huffington Post and Founder & CEO of Thrive Global; Dharmesh Shah, Co-Founder & CTO of HubSpot; and Dug Song, Co-Founder & General Manager of Duo Security (which was acquired by Cisco in 2018 for $2.35B).

The conference boasts over 1,000 annual attendees with over 250 funds that have led to $4.4 billion in funding raised and $14 billion in successful exits.  

Venture Atlanta Live Online Will Deliver an Unparalleled Conference Experience

Allyson Eman, Venture Atlanta CEO, wants attendees to know that Venture Atlanta Live Online is not your typical video conference or webinar. Instead, they’ll enjoy an unparalleled experience that streams two days of immersive events and interactive networking opportunities. Attendees will be able to connect with others at the conference, set up one-on-one meetings, stroll the virtual show floor, watch pitches in real-time and use features like live chat, digital notetaking and audience polling.

“We’re excited about the new online format,” said Eman. “For us, postponing wasn’t an option since good companies still need capital and connections, now more than ever. Our virtual platform brings all the benefits of Venture Atlanta to your computer or mobile screen. The format may be different, but its impact will meet or beat our previous conferences.”

With this year’s newly added All-Access pass, attendees will have on-demand access to Venture Atlanta Live Online content for a full year so they can catch up or re-watch conference segments whenever they want. Passholders will also have behind-the-scenes access to keynote speakers and updated content such as new pitch decks, round tables and investor profiles throughout the year.

“The investors we’ve talked to are still looking for companies. But in a time of online-only meetings, the best way to get in front of them is through a warm ‘virtual’ introduction. Our aim is to continue to make a meaningful difference for innovating companies, even during our current times,” said Eman.

Call for Presenting and Showcase Companies Now Open

Last year, a record-breaking 300+ applications were submitted to present and be showcased at the conference, a number predicted to increase given this year’s digital format. Gaining a presentation slot is a golden opportunity for promising companies looking to catch the eye of investors and potential partners, make important connections and secure funding—don’t miss out.

Companies from very early stage to growth stage across the Southeast, from Texas to D.C., are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit is August 28. There is no application cost and selected presenters attend the virtual event without charge.  

Visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org/companies/ to apply. Presenting and showcase companies will be announced September 24.

Attendee Registration Now Open; Select Sponsorship Opportunities Remain

Registration for Venture Atlanta Live Online is now open for attendees. The conference has reduced tiered pricing for students, tech companies, investors and service, including great options for group tickets. 

To register, view the conference schedule and learn more about this year’s value pricing, visit https://www.ventureatlanta.org.

Limited sponsorship opportunities for Venture Atlanta Live Online also remain, including never-before-offered packages. For information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org/sponsors.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s technology innovation event, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. This year’s event is going all digital through Venture Atlanta Live Online.

As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 350 companies and raise over $4.4 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region’s top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter and visit our blog.

Throughout Venture Atlanta’s 13-year history, our board members and leadership team have worked tirelessly to connect companies to capital — a mission that has since expanded beyond the southeast to connect companies at all stages of growth from across the country with the resources, network, clients, partnerships, and talent they need to grow.

In the process of forging connections and facilitating growth, we’ve managed to incite some growth of our own. Looking back, Venture Atlanta started with just 20 funds and a couple hundred attendees. Now, the conference boasts over 1,000 annual attendees with over 250 funds that have led to $4.4 billion in funding raised and $14 billion in successful exits.  

In 2020, Venture Atlanta extends that growth to our leadership team, announcing a new chairman, CEO, and additions to the Board of Directors — all moves that demonstrate Venture Atlanta’s evolution since its humble beginnings back in 2007.

Kelly Gay Steps In as Chair of Venture Atlanta 2020

During the 2019 conference, Venture Atlanta announced Kelly Gay as this year’s chair.  Serving as an active VA board member for many years, Gay has extensive experience as the chairman and board member of many organizations, including the 35,000+ member Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), KnowledgeStorm, OnBoard, Omnilink Systems, Atlanta CEO Council, 1105 Media, and more. In addition to chairing Venture Atlanta, she is currently the chairman and CEO of OnBoard and vice chair of TAG, and has recently been named as an Atlanta Top Entrepreneur by TIE and an inaugural recipient of both IoT Now's Top Women of IoT and Connected World's Top Women of M2M. 

Over the years, VA has enjoyed remarkable support from all constituencies involved in the conference - including the investment community, emerging and growth companies, and partners - and Gay is focused on ensuring VA 2020 continues to innovate, provide new experiences, and be "fresh" and relevant in order to serve those communities well.

“We have a responsibility to continue providing superior programming and content while making it easier for entrepreneurs to find investment and for investors to find great companies,” said Gay. “Our 2020 plans are already in the works to accomplish that.”

Former VA Director Allyson Eman Ascends to CEO

Working alongside Gay to support these initiatives is newly appointed CEO Allyson Eman. In her previous role as Executive Director, which she has held since 2007, Eman worked diligently to manage all aspects of the conference, including everything from contract negotiations to event logistics. 

“She [Allyson Eman] has been the one constant, the one point of consistency that connects all of the pieces that make up Venture Atlanta,” said Gay of Eman’s promotion. “With the support of our partners and colleagues, she has taken Venture Atlanta from a small conference with under 200 attendees to the incredible experience that it is today.”

Her promotion is a testament to the conference’s growth as well as her own, and Eman hopes to continue that trajectory for Venture Atlanta in 2020. 

“We want Venture Atlanta to always be relevant; to be the go-to place for companies raising capital,” Eman shared. “Our mission from day one [connecting companies to capital] hasn’t changed — we just want to continue to elevate that experience.” 

“Part of that,” she continued, “is expanding to different markets [outside of the southeast]. Last year, about a third of our participating companies were from out of state. That was huge, and we want to continue that reach for 2020.”  

Founding Member David Hartnett Weighs In

David Hartnett, the chief economic development officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and one of Venture Atlanta’s founding members, is fully on board with leadership. In addition to supporting Eman, he plans to drive diversity in 2020 outreach, expand upon the notion that VA is “just a conference,” and create year-round activities — all to define Venture Atlanta as the premier eastern conference to attend. 

“We are focused on diversity and inclusion through Venture Atlanta by increasing the number of entrepreneurs who have an opportunity to showcase and present their companies to the influential investors and funds in attendance at our world-class event,” Hartnett said. “Driving inclusive innovation and inclusive capital is critical as we realize the full opportunity that Atlanta can provide to entrepreneurs of all backgrounds.”

New Board Members Provide Valuable Insight

Further supporting the mission of Gay, Eman, and Hartnett are two new additions to the Venture Atlanta board: Rachel Spasser and Richard Fraim. 

Hailing from the world of private equity, Spasser brings key insights to the table that are invaluable for companies in the later stages of growth. You may also remember her as the interviewer in the Scott Chacon fireside chat at VA 2019. As the Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer for the Accel-KKR Consulting Group, she will undoubtedly be a key player as Venture Atlanta seeks to partners with larger companies.

“For years I've watched Venture Atlanta grow and become a bigger and more impactful event,” Spasser said. “I’m thrilled to now be a board member and have the opportunity to contribute directly.”

In regards to her private equity expertise, Spasser said: “Coming from private equity, we look at capital-raising as an ecosystem. Venture Atlanta has been about connecting companies to the right capital for their initial fundraising. Private equity can provide capital in the later stages so that companies can continue to grow as independent entities while providing liquidity to stakeholders. I think keeping local software businesses independent longer could have huge dividends for Atlanta.”

Richard Fraim, on the other hand, has experience with earlier-stage financings and is currently filling a gap in Atlanta  by investing in companies at the seed and pre-Series A stages. As a partner at Knoll Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in technology-enabled businesses focused on B2B markets, Fraim will be a key player in helping Venture Atlanta continue to connect with younger companies. Previously, he served as President of Ellis Capital and is currently involved in many mentorship roles within the local technology space. 

“Venture Atlanta has grown so much and there's so much momentum behind it,” said Fraim. “But as venture funds have grown in size, it has become increasingly challenging for early-stage companies to raise Series A rounds. We want to help pre-Series A companies by providing intermediary financing that enables these businesses to grow and eventually get to a point where they can raise capital from larger funds.”

The expansion of this year's expertise means that Venture Atlanta is not just a "start-up funding conference," but a path for entrepreneurs in all phases of growth. It’s also cementing VA’s status as one of the leading tech conferences in the nation. 

Stay tuned as we prepare for Venture Atlanta 2020 with our talented team.

Meet the 2020 Board:

Kelly GayKelly Gay - 2020 Chairman

Numerex Corp.

Kelly Gay is the chief operating officer of Numerex Corp. (NASDAQ: NMRX), a leading provider of managed enterprise solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). She was previously the president of Security Solutions at Numerex, where she led the introduction of new offerings in existing businesses, the acceleration of revenue growth, the expansion of strategic partnerships, and the launch of a new personal tracking line of business.  Read More >>

Alex EstevezAlex Estevez – 2019 Chairman

Accel Partners

Mr. Estevez is a Venture Partner with Accel Partners, a global leader in venture capital with past investments in top companies such as Atlassian, Dropbox, Facebook, Jet.com, Lynda.com, Qualtrics, Slack, Squarespace, and Spotify. As Venture Partner, Mr. Estevez helps existing portfolio companies based outside of Silicon Valley with their growth opportunities and scale challenges. Read More >>

Mike BeckerMike Becker – 2018 Chairman

Vocap Investment Partners

Mike loves the entrepreneurial process and has over 20 years of investing, technology and operations experience, much of it working with growth stage companies. Prior to joining Vocap, Mike served as the COO of Triton Digital’s Applications & Services Division. Read More >>

Rachel Spasser

Rachel Spasser

Accel-KKR Consulting Group

Rachel Spasser is a Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer for the Accel-KKR Consulting Group. In this role, Rachel provides leadership across commercial functions including strategy, sales, marketing and business development for Accel-KKR’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining Accel-KKR’s Consulting Group, Rachel was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for SAP Ariba. At Ariba, she led the design and execution of the company’s marketing strategy and programs. Read More >>

Richard Fraim

Richard Fraim

Knoll Ventures Fund I LP

Rich is a General Partner of Knoll Ventures Fund I LP. Knoll Ventures is an Atlanta, GA based early-stage venture capital fund that invests in technology businesses focused on B2B markets. Knoll primarily invests in pre-Series A companies that have demonstrated customer traction and identified actionable near-term growth initiatives. Read More >>

Thiago Olson Thiago Olson

Engage Ventures

Thiago is the Managing Director of Engage, a growth platform and venture fund established in partnership with 11 leading Fortune 1000 corporations. Thiago is also a Venture Partner at Tech Square Ventures focused on early-stage technology investments. Read More >>

Jim DouglassJim Douglass

Fulcrum Equity Partners

Mr. Douglass is a Partner of Fulcrum Equity Partners and brings more than 25 years of operations management, strategic development and financial experience with high-growth financial services, marketing services, and healthcare companies.  Read More >>

Dave PayneDave Payne

Techstars Atlanta

David Payne is a startup founder & investor who has been working on startups since the mid-90s in NYC, San Francisco, London and (for the last decade) Atlanta. He is currently the Managing Director of Techstars Atlanta. Before that, he founded Switchyards, one of the main startup hubs in Atlanta, and Scoutmob, one of the most successful consumer startups to launch from Atlanta. Read More >>

Phyllis NewhousePhyllis Newhouse

Xtreme Solutions Inc.

Phyllis W. Newhouse is the Chief Executive Officer of Xtreme Solutions, Inc., an end-to-end IT services and solutions provider, with offerings that range from IT business consulting to state-of-the-art cyber security consulting and forensic analysis. Phyllis co-founded Xtreme Solutions in 2002 upon retiring from the United States Army as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.  Read More >>

Vanessa LarcoVanessa Larco

New Enterprise Associates

Vanessa Larco joined NEA as a Partner in 2016 and focuses on enterprise and consumer investing. Prior to joining NEA, she was the Director of Product Management for web and mobile apps at Box (NYSE: BOX) where she worked on building the next generation of productivity apps. Read More >>

John AleJohn Ale

NMP

John joined NMP as a Vice President in 2015. He supports the firm’s investments in software and information technology companies. John currently serves as a board observer for MacStadium, PureWrx, Red Canary, TapInfluence and TrendKite. Read More >>

David HartnettDavid Hartnett

Metro Atlanta Chamber

As chief economic development officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, David leads the team focused on the retention, recruitment, and expansion of existing and start-up companies within key clusters, e.g., Mobility, IoT, Cybersecurity, Fin Tech, Digital Media, Supply Chain, Bioscience, and Health IT. Read More >>

Paul IaffaldanoPaul Iaffaldano

BIP Capital

With over 30 years of experience in building the value of market-leading companies, Paul Iaffaldano is managing director at BIP Capital, recognized as one of the most active and successful venture investment firms in the southeastern United States. Prior to joining BIP Capital, Iaffaldano also founded another highly successful venture firm, Accelerant Venture Capital, which merged with BIP Capital in 2017. Read More >>

Raj RajanPalaniswamy “Raj” Rajan

CTW Venture Partners

Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan is currently the Managing Partner of CTW Venture Partners, an early stage venture capital fund which invests in and assists seed and early-stage entrepreneurs in all industries in Atlanta and the South Eastern United States who are engaged in disruptive innovations and technologies. Read More >>

Larry WilliamsLarry Williams

Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

Larry K. Williams, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Williams, A recognized leader in economic development, brings more than 20 years of experience in global branding, international trade and finance, public and industrial policy, and administration and management to one of the largest state technology trade associations in North America. Read More >>

Allyson EmanAllyson Eman – Chief Executive Officer

Venture Atlanta

Allyson Eman has more than 25 years of marketing, communications, sales leadership and business development skills. In 2007, Allyson took on the role of Executive Director for the newly created Venture Atlanta annual conference. Allyson has worked with key business leaders from Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta CEO Council and Technology Association of Georgia to build the premier venture capital conference in the South. Read More >>

Even though it’s only February, saying Nick Santora has been “busy” just might be the understatement of the year. 

But the Curricula CEO is, at least, the good kind of busy. Thanks in part to connections made at Venture Atlanta this past year, the story-based security awareness training platform closed a cool $3M round with RCP Equity. Now, he’s got the kind of problems that business owners dream of: lots to get started on with little time to do it. 

Santora is no stranger to hard work, though. Before Curricula, the entrepreneur worked as a cybersecurity advisor — a job that ultimately sparked the idea for the company. To uncover more about this founder’s journey and his quest to make cybersecurity training “anything but boring,” we did a little hacking of our own (with permission, of course) into the mind of Nick Santora. 

How did you get started? Did you have that quintessential “a-ha” moment? 

“I would fly around all over the continent, teaching technical teams and executives how hackers are going to blackout the power grid on their watch. Walking through this exercise countless times, I realized that, after millions were spent each year on cyber security, none of it was being focused on teaching their own employees on how to defend themselves. So I thought, why don’t we just make something that’s really fun and memorable for those employees? To make it more digestible for them to be leading the charge here?”

From there, the concept for Curricula became clear: Make it fun, easy, engaging, and memorable for employees to protect themselves from online threats by showcasing short stories that help people visualize a cyber attack. Building content was a large part of this initiative, and developing software to deliver that content certainly wasn’t an easy task. 

After seeing that the audience wasn’t connecting with the content, how did you decide to change it? What did that process look like? 

“So when you look at the current state of training, it’s essentially “death by PowerPoints,” with slides written by lawyers and monitored by HR. It’s a miserable experience for employees. What we looked at was how we could change that experience to something more relatable. We landed on story-telling — it’s how we’ve communicated all throughout history, and it’s part of our culture and our lives. So what we designed was a series of heroes, villains, and stories that live in the Curricula platform and are delivered to employees. We even built an integrated phishing simulator so companies can simulate a real-world phishing attack in just a couple of clicks. This entire experience allows employees to understand a breach, learn from it, and practice how to defend themselves from the real hackers.”

“Our creative team and I discussed how to bring this idea of security to life for every employee. Our main AI hacker, DeeDee, is a 5-year old villain that employees get to know very quickly. In our software, you can simulate a phishing attack towards your employees, and when they fall for the simulated phishing test, it’s DeeDee on the other end to train them. This way, you’re fully immersed in the stories to defend yourself and it brings the entire experience to life. Employees have a lot of fun talking about different ways they spot DeeDee.”

Ok, so you’re at the forefront of building your business, and everything is working out, people are buying your product, and things are catching on. At what point did pitching at Venture Atlanta become something on your radar?

“We had quite a few people reach out to us, saying we needed to apply. Actually, we applied the year prior, but chose to speak [at a conference in] Vegas instead. This past year, we found out we got in, and we just ran with it.” 

“We knew about Venture Atlanta, but the process was a little unusual for us because we weren’t in the fundraising game. We weren’t flying around chasing venture capitalists — they were coming to us. We thought that was pretty cool, and in that process, it gave us the motivation to prepare ourselves.”

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are just starting?

“I think we’re very different than a lot of entrepreneurs and I’m very anti-venture capital. I’ve been focusing on growing a real business with my team and believing that the money will come. I’m lucky enough to have met a group that followed that same mindset. The majority of VCs we met didn’t fit that vibe. “

“At Venture Atlanta, no one knew who we were. It’s because we never played the VC  game. We were just here working hard and growing a real business; I would encourage people to follow that same model. If you’re really resourceful about it, you can do a lot with a little. Continue to find real problems and search to solve those problems. Don’t waste your time on crappy pitch decks. If you find a problem and you solve it, the money and everything else will come too.” 

Interested in learning more about Curricula? Check out their company page on Venture Atlanta, or visit their website, getcurricula.com.

“Success breeds success.”

When Alex Estevez, the 2019 Venture Atlanta conference chair and venture partner with Accel, kicked off the 12th annual Venture Atlanta conference on October 16, 2019, with the above statement, it wasn’t just an empty line. It was a promise for the start of the biggest, most influential Venture Atlanta conference to date.

Venture Atlanta 2019 By the Numbers

Thanks to our board, sponsors, partners, presenters, attendees, and the entire community, we were able to successfully showcase the strength of entrepreneurship, technology, and business growth in the Southeast. The reviews speak for themselves: 

"Can't wait to come back!"

"One of the best venture conferences I've attended as an investor or entrepreneur.”

"This was my first time at Venture Atlanta, and I was blown away by the quality of companies, investors and networking. They do a great job with this conference!

“#VA2019 crushed it! Everyone says so.”

"Fantastic turnout of innovative companies at Venture Atlanta”

"If you're an entrepreneur and you're not at the Venture Atlanta, you're not serious."

What was new in 2019?

We debuted a variety of sessions to educate and inspire — from “Building a Unicorn” to “Building a Winning Team.” We introduced corporate development panels geared toward late-stage companies and investors. We listened to insightful fireside chats with Aaron Levie of Box and Scott Chacon of GitHub and Chatterbug. We honored the life and legends of our friends and colleagues Greg Foster and Reggie Bradford. 

Venture Atlanta 2019 was one for the books, and we can’t wait to see what funding, acquisitions, and other life-changing results come from the connections made during our two-day event. 

Venture Atlanta 2019 Speakers: Quotes We Loved

“The most interesting type of start-up is not in a space that doesn’t exist. What’s interesting to me are large markets that are poorly served. Coming from a customer standpoint, saying that we can make something that people actually want to do, that’s what I care about.” - Scott Chicon, former Co-Founder, Github, now Co-Founder and CEO of Chatterbug @ Day 1 Fireside Chat 

“I compare running a startup to playing a new video game. The key is not to die on the level, but to keep going.” - Jyoti Bansal, Founder of AppDynamics and Unusual Ventures @ Day 1 Building a Unicorn Chat 

“Take every touch point you have with an acquirer seriously. Every single one of those touch points fit the strategy long term, and the value of those pieces is important. Remember, timing has to work from both sides. If it’s not this year, that’s ok. Two, three, four, five years from now, maybe they’ll be ready.” - Phil Kirk, Senior Director of Corporate Business Development @ Day 2 Corporate Development/M&A Panel #1  

In many ways, developing a relationship with a company is no different than going out as a CEO for new business. It’s really important to know about the company you’re trying to engage with — where are they trying to grow, what are they interested in. It’s better to understand the motivation and the stakeholders, whether it’s corp dev or something else. IF you have the time, you can start building those relationships, and over time you can play on that. “ - Seksom Suriyapa, Twitter Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy @ Day 2 Corporate Development/M&A Panel #2 

“Our first question for everything is: How scalable is it? “ - Lisa Marchese, American Express Head of Corporate Development  @ Day 2 Corporate Development/M&A Panel #2 

“Our first venture capitalist was my cofounder, and our first fundraiser was from online poker. It’s not really sustainable, but it depends on how good you are at poker.” - Aaron Levie, CEO, Co-Founder and Chairman, Box @ Day 2 Morning Fireside 

“Meet people where they’re at. The first thing I learned in coaching was don’t expect all your players to be like you, learn to be where they are. I wouldn’t win the games if I played only the players who were there at every practice. Not everyone is like you, and it’s all in finding where they can be most useful.” - Nicki Collen, Head Coach, The Atlanta Dream @ Day 2 All-Star Sports Panel 

“It’s good to make money, to drive nice cars and live in a mansion, but sometimes you have to take one or two seconds and you have to look behind you. You have to see how you can have an impact on society. We are not here by ourselves. Go see how other people are living. It can change your life.” - Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Basketball Great @ Day 2 All=Star Sports Panel  

Presenting Companies Lineup: Venture Atlanta 2019 Recap

Day 1

Day 2

Introducing Venture Atlanta 2020 Chairman: Kelly Gay 

In case you missed our announcement at the conference, we’re thrilled to announce Kelly Gay, Chief Operating Officer at Numerex Corp., VP and IoT Verticals at Sierra Wireless, and long-time Venture Atlanta board member, will take the helm of Venture Atlanta 2020 as chairman. Kelly, who was previously president of Security Solutions at Numerex Corp., has led many initiatives launching new business offerings, accelerating revenue growth, and expanding strategic partnerships. We’re excited to have her leadership for 2020, so stay tuned for updates. 

To stay up to date with Venture Atlanta and what to look forward to next year, subscribe to our newsletter. We look forward to seeing you next year! 

This is a guest post from BIP Capital.

We at BIP Capital recently issued our third annual The State of StartupsSM in the Southeast report, delivering a comprehensive overview of the venture capital and startup ecosystem in this region of the country, including Georgia. The report reviews startup activity throughout nine states in the southeastern United States over the five-and-a-half-year time period from January 1, 2014 through June 30, 2019.

Last year’s research revealed that the Southeast is an attractive place to invest relative to the more established and capital-intensive Innovation Hubs of Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City. With that in mind, we wanted to know for our 2019 report exactly how mature the Southeast’s venture ecosystem has become.

Macroeconomic trends tell us to expect increasing valuations. Nationally, the number of dollars flowing into the private markets as a whole is on the rise, with more dollars than ever being invested in early and growth-stage companies. We can expect a “rising tide” across the country when it comes to deal dynamics and, in particular, increasing valuations. Using pre-money valuation as a proxy for maturity, we examined how stable the pre-money valuation is in each region.

Under that backdrop, we were pleased to find that the overall rate of maturation in the Southeast is exceeding that of the Innovation Hubs. Our research confirms there is more innovation and more competitive early-stage deals happening in the Southeast than ever before. Looking at Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, and the Research Triangle in comparison to Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City, Atlanta, and the Research Triangle are showing signs of maturity, while Charlotte and Nashville are still maturing at a rate far exceeding that of the Innovation Hubs. It is clear that the Southeast is still an excellent environment for both investors and entrepreneurs in the early stages of building a business.

Other notable observations include:

In regard to Georgia specifically:

We invite you to read The State of StartupsSM in the Southeast report in its entirety here. We hope this report will further educate investors on the emerging trends to watch as well as highlight the region’s growth and future opportunities. 

About the Author: Mark Buffington is co-founder and CEO of BIP Capital, one of the most active and successful venture investors in the Southeast, serving entrepreneurs, investors and operators to grow the emerging company ecosystem. Follow him on Twitter @markbuffbip.

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2019 – Venture Atlanta, the premier venture capital conference in the Southeast, today announced the addition of a new keynote - "Building a Unicorn - The Story of AppDynamics and Unusual Ventures" - to the 2019 conference. Featuring a fireside chat with Jyoti Bansal and John Vrionis, the talk will detail Bansal and Vrionis’ AppDynamics journey, from its early start-up days to its $3.7 billion sale to Cisco, and how that led to the creation of their new joint venture, Unusual Ventures.

“We’re excited to welcome Jyoti Bansal and John Vrionis to the Venture Atlanta stage,” said Mike Becker, Managing Director at Vocap Investment Partners and 2018 Venture Atlanta board chair. “Their story and insights on how to build successful companies while maintaining a successful partnership will be a great addition to this year’s conference.” 

In 2018, Bansai and Vrionis co-founded Unusual Ventures, a seed-stage firm that invests in both enterprise and consumer startups and is committed to fostering the next generation of billion dollar companies through hands-on guidance and mentorship for entrepreneurs. Prior to Unusual Ventures, Bansai founded AppDynamics in 2008, an application intelligence company that provides enterprises with real-time insights into application performance, while Vrionis was a General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, where he invested in a number of successful companies, including AppDynamics, Cloudbees, DataStax, Heptio, Mulesoft, Nicira, and Nimble Storage.

Venture Atlanta is expected to draw a sold-out crowd of over 1,000 technology entrepreneurs, premier investors and key executives from across the country. The event will take place October 16-17 at Southern Exchange @ 200 Peachtree. Registration for premier investors is open until October 7.

ATLANTA – September 16, 2019 – Venture Atlanta, the premier venture capital conference in the Southeast, today announced its 2019 lineup of the region’s most promising tech companies that will present and be showcased during this year’s highly anticipated event on October 16-17. The largest annual two-day conference connecting entrepreneurs throughout the Southeast with over 200 national investor funds is now in its 12th year and has earned a reputation as a game-changing event, having helped launch over 350 companies and secure over $4.3 billion in funding to date.

“Venture Atlanta is the place where Southeast tech entrepreneurs gather to discover, connect, inspire and grow,” said Dave Payne, managing director of Techstars Atlanta and Venture Atlanta board member. “The most powerful collective group of industry leaders, investors and founders, Venture Atlanta has become the main showcase for game-changing innovation and technologies poised for massive growth.”

“With over one-third of the presenting companies coming from outside Georgia, Venture Atlanta is becoming Venture Southeast,” said Paul Iaffaldano, managing partner of BIP Capital and head of the Venture Atlanta selection committee. “After receiving hundreds of applicants - 50 percent more than last year - the 2019 list of top companies includes the best and brightest, representing more than ten states from Texas to Virginia.” 

This year, 36 leaders representing venture and early-stage companies will take the podium to pitch their businesses while 42 additional startup executives will share their visions as “companies to watch” during a dedicated showcase and networking event. 

Venture Atlanta 2019 will feature a keynote from Aaron Levie, chief executive officer, cofounder and chairman of enterprise cloud company Box. The event will also feature leading corporate development executives, including:

Venture Atlanta sessions will begin with a panel moderated by Stephanie Cohen, chief strategy officer of Goldman Sachs, where she will reveal what strategy and corporate development leaders are looking for, trends in the market, and her firm’s process for evaluating deals.

Venture and Early-Stage Presenting Companies

The following 36 companies, in alphabetical order, have been chosen to present onstage at Venture Atlanta 2019:

  • Acivilate - Atlanta, GA
  • Admiral - Gainesville, FL
  • Banyan Hills Technologies - Duluth, GA
  • Boatsetter - Ft. Lauderdale, FL 
  • cove.tool - Atlanta, GA
  • Ceterus - Charleston, SC
  • Curricula - Atlanta, GA
  • Eletype - Atlanta, GA
  • Fattmerchant - Orlando, FL
  • Florence Healthcare - Atlanta, GA
  • FreightWaves - Chattanooga, TN
  • Flourish Software - Atlanta, GA 
  • Get Spiffy - Durham, NC
  • Intrinio - St. Petersburg, FL
  • Jonny On It - Atlanta, GA
  • Kobiton - Atlanta, GA
  • Mile Auto - Atlanta, GA
  • mLevel - Atlanta, GA
  • MyPorter - Atlanta, GA
  • Oncolens - Atlanta, GA 
  • Octerra - Nashville, TN
  • Paw.com - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • ProcessMaker - Durham, NC
  • Rent Ready - Charlotte, NC
  • Secure Data Kit - Atlanta, GA
  • Stratifyd - Charlotte, NC
  • TaxConnex - Roswell, GA
  • Tomahawk Robotics - Melbourne, FL
  • Transitiv - Atlanta, GA
  • Trellis - Peachtree Corners, GA
  • UnderGrid Networks - Atlanta, GA
  • Virsys12 - Brentwood, TN
  • Voxie - Alpharetta, GA
  • Worthix - Atlanta, GA
  • Worldwatch Plus - Kennesaw, GA
  • Zaloni - Research Triangle Park, NC

Startup Showcase Companies

In addition to the companies presenting onstage, Venture Atlanta will once again include an expanded Startup Showcase featuring 42 companies that represent the most exciting emerging technologies in the Southeast. These innovators will be highlighted during the conference’s main networking event to provide “sneak peeks” into their plans and products. The companies, in alphabetical order, include:

  • Allstacks - Raleigh, NC
  • BearTax - Atlanta, GA
  • BluePenguin Payments - Alpharetta, GA
  • Capital Slack - Atlanta, GA
  • CapWay - Atlanta, GA
  • Case Status - Birmingham, AL
  • CCM Navigator - Carrollton, GA
  • Citibot - Charleston, SC
  • Citiri – Atlanta, GA
  • Civic Dinners - Atlanta, GA
  • Coin Closing – Woodstock, GA
  • Conserv - Birmingham, AL
  • Countalytics - Atlanta, GA
  • Coworks - Raleigh, NC
  • Cyber Clipboard - Atlanta, GA
  • EnrichHER - Atlanta, GA
  • Fanboard - Atlanta, GA
  • Farm’d - Atlanta, GA
  • Haxiot - Dallas, TX
  • Hull - Atlanta, GA
  • MailMosh - Atlanta, GA
  • Medxoom - Atlanta, GA
  • mesur.io - Chapel Hill, NC
  • Motivo - Atlanta, GA
  • NuGen Systems - Norcross, GA
  • Parmonic - Atlanta, GA
  • Partnr - Atlanta, GA
  • Phonism - Tampa, FL
  • Presence - St. Petersburg, FL
  • ProcessMiner - Atlanta, GA
  • RentCheck - New Orleans, LA
  • Shotcall -  Atlanta, GA
  • StreetMetrics - Birmingham, AL
  • SweatPack - Atlanta, GA
  • Syfer - Sandy Springs, GA
  • Ternio - Alpharetta, GA
  • tevixMD - Jupiter, FL
  • Toucan AI - Atlanta, GA
  • Tranzhalo - Alpharetta, GA
  • Winshaw Global Enterprises - Avondale Estates, GA
  • Xendoo.com - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • Yesflow - Greenville, SC

Venture Atlanta is expected to draw a sold-out crowd of over 1,000 technology entrepreneurs, premier investors and key executives from across the country. The event will take place at Southern Exchange @ 200 Peachtree. Atlanta- based independent investment management firm, Invesco, is this year’s premier sponsor with Cherry Bekaert, Nelson Mullins and SunTrust as additional headline sponsors. Techstars will help kick off the conference on October 14 with Techstars Atlanta 2019 Demo Day in partnership with Cox Enterprises.

To register, view the conference schedule or access more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org/conference.

The 12th annual Venture Atlanta conference will be held October 16-17, 2019 at the Southern Exchange @ 200 Peachtree in Atlanta, Georgia. Venture Atlanta is the largest venture capital conference in the region bringing together entrepreneurs from across the Southeast and investor funds from across the nation for a jam-packed two-day event. Here’s what investors can expect from Venture Atlanta 2019. 

8 Reasons Why Venture Atlanta is the Best Place to Meet Your Next Portfolio Company

1 - More portfolio companies applied to pitch this year than ever before. We had a 50% increase in applications compared to last year, and there’s even more representation from cities outside of Atlanta. This is your chance to see the top emerging tech companies from across the entire Southeast. 

2 - The presenting companies are vetted and coached. The tech industry is very competitive with a lot of noise and a lot of choices. We select the most proven and innovative portfolio companies and provide them with exceptional coaching so that every pitch is worth your time.

3 - We have a successful track record. Our companies collectively have achieved over $4B in capital raised and $14B in exits. See some of our biggest success stories. 

4 - It’s where your fellow investors will be. If you’re not at Venture Atlanta, you’re missing out. Join 300+ funds (including these big names) at this year’s event. 

5 - Get face time with the entrepreneurs at our Investor dinner. Our investor dinner is always one of the highlights of the conference. The CEOs of the presenting and showcase companies will be in attendance giving you an opportunity to connect directly with them. 

6 - We’ve introduced a new opportunity for later-stage investors. This year we’ll have a growth-stage track with sessions specifically geared toward later-stage companies and investors. 

7 - Don’t just take it from us. Hear testimonials from Ben Narasin of NEA, Jackie DiMonte of Hyde Park Venture Partners, Courtney Watson of the Chattanooga Renaissance Fund, and Mike Becker of Vocap Investment Partners.

8 - Book meetings ahead of time with the Venture Atlanta app. Make the most of your two days in Atlanta by setting up meetings ahead of time with your top prospects. The list of presenting and showcase companies will be released on September 16th, so you’ll know who will be in attendance and which companies you’ll want to connect with. We typically have 400+ meetings happen at the event, so this is a great way for you to meet with multiple companies in a short amount of time. 

Life-changing investment deals have come from conversations that started at Venture Atlanta. It’s the one time a year that top tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors are all gathered together in one place to learn and connect. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it. Register now or contact Executive Director Allyson Eman with any questions. We hope to see you there!

Venture Atlanta is pleased to announce that Stephanie Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer and Ex Officio member of the Management Committee at Goldman Sachs, will join our corporate development sessions as the panel moderator at the 2019 conference. Designed to foster connections between growth-stage companies and investors, these sessions will include networking, 1:1 meeting opportunities, and roundtable discussions.  

Meet Stephanie Cohen, Goldman Sachs' Chief Strategy Officer

After joining Goldman Sachs in 1999 as an analyst, Stephanie was named managing director in 2008, and a partner in 2014. Currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer and Ex Officio member of the Management Committee, she leads strategy and M&A for the firm. Stephanie also leads Firmwide initiatives like Launch With GS, a $500m commitment to narrow the investing gap for women, and GS Accelerate, an in-house innovation engine. This builds on 20 years of experience at Goldman Sachs, most recently as the global head of financial sponsor M&A within the Investment Bank.

Named one of the most powerful women in finance by American Banker in September 2018, Stephanie is also the youngest member of the Goldman Sachs management committee. She holds a finance degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is also a board member for both CollegeSpring and Quill.org. 

About Venture Atlanta 

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country’s top-tier investors. Now in its 12th year as the region’s largest investor showcase with over 1,000 attendees, Venture Atlanta connects the best and brightest entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors, and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.

Venture Atlanta is pleased to announce that Seksom Suriyapa, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Twitter, will join us for our corporate development sessions at the 2019 conference. Designed to foster connections between growth-stage companies and investors, these sessions will include networking, 1:1 meeting opportunities, and roundtable discussions.  

Meet Seksom Suriyapa, Twitter Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy

Since 2018, Seksom Suriyapa has been pioneering corporate development and strategy at Twitter, where he works with founders in leading, managing, and executing growth strategies. Prior to his current position, Seksom collaborated with iconic market leaders as an investor, advisor, and mentor for various privately-held companies, including Netskope, Reflektive, Drafted, and TopOpps. 

Seksom also has experience working with industry-leading companies such as Twitter, SuccessFactors, and Akamai, where he has led strategy for critical inflection points as a key leadership team member. At SuccessFactors, Seksom worked with the company from ~$100 million to $1 billion in revenue, and also assisted in the sale of the company to SAP. At Akamai, he initiated the move into cybersecurity for the CDN leader. He holds a JD from Stanford Law School, an MBA from INSEAD Business School, and a BA from Williams College.  

With experience advising companies that range from early-stage to market-leading, Seksom has accelerated businesses in several industries, spanning from consumer internet to enterprise. For both growth-stage companies and investors, Venture Atlanta 2019 is an excellent opportunity to get the chance to collaborate with Seksom. If you’re interested in speaking directly with him, you can register for the 2019 conference here. You can also stay up to date with future speaker announcements and additional event details by subscribe to our newsletter here. 

About Venture Atlanta 

Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture conference, is where the region’s most promising tech companies meet the country’s top-tier investors. Now in its 12th year as the region’s largest investor showcase with over 1,000 attendees, Venture Atlanta connects the best and brightest entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors, and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org.