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March 18, 2021

Moving Forward with Momentum: Venture Atlanta 2021

Around this time last year, life as we knew it came to halt. 

Fear and uncertainty loomed large, casting shadows of doubt on the dreams of entrepreneurs; of investors and innovators; of our families, friends, and even ourselves. 

Yet, you persevered. 

You kept moving, dreaming, doing, and achieving. You pivoted, several times over, rising to the challenge. For a tangible, honest, raw look at what this meant, just look at some of our social posts from this time last year:

  • Rimidi uses its platform to help keep potentially infectious individuals from exposing other patients or staff before they are identified and separated.
  • Jigsaw Interactive has been giving schools its virtual classroom software to help them with emergency preparedness plans. 
  • Peerfit has a great platform for at-home workouts and is offering a way for users to stream their favorite classes. Stay home and still take care of yourself.
  • VIZZIA Technologies is tracking — in real-time — tens of thousands of critical medical devices within hospitals.
  • iScribe Health’s Virtual Scribe Service reduces the administrative burden on physicians which allows them to spend more time treating patients — a critical need during this pandemic. 
  • ParkMobile is using its platform to collect donations to Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that supports workers in the restaurant industry. They’re also matching a portion of the donation proceeds.
  • Caribu was built to help young kids have engaging and educational video calls with family. Now with kids at home and separate from friends and distant relatives, Caribu saw an opportunity to help and is offering free, unlimited access.
  • Voxie’s texting platform helps impacted retail, franchise, & restaurant groups re-engage customers letting them know they’re open, how to order, any offers, etc. This has been instrumental in getting revenue back for these businesses.
  • VITAL4 is offering free healthcare employee screening software to all U.S. healthcare facilities impacted by COVID-19. 
  • GROUNDFLOOR is launching a new program designed to help keep capital flowing for residential real estate development. 
  • Curricula is now offering a free coronavirus phishing test to companies so that employees can avoid being victims of hackers looking to take advantage during vulnerable times 
  • MLevel launched a FREE 10-week training program to help Georgia small businesses educate employees on safety guidelines for reopening. 

You rose above…and we rose with you, taking Venture Atlanta to the digital world for the first time in our 13-year history. The event was an overwhelming success, showcasing 103 pitch companies from 11 states across the Southeast and featuring several world-renowned keynote speakers, including Arianna Huffington, Dharmesh Shah, and Jean-Michel Lemieux, among others. 

And, despite every roadblock 2020 put in our path, we not only reached our previous goals — we exceeded them, breaking our all-time record for registrations and company applications. 

That’s when we truly realized the power of Momentum.

When trials bring innovation, when scarcity brings invention, when global changes bring global solutions, there is Momentum.

Momentum is the seed funding that spurs the next technological breakthrough. Momentum is the knowledge and expertise passed forward from one innovator to another. Momentum is the action-inspiring excitement that builds when brilliant minds collaborate. 

Here’s a stat for you: Our alumni companies (including several VA 2020 companies) have collectively raised $400M JUST THIS YEAR! To those who kept moving when the rest of the world stood still — we’re already seeing your tenacity pay off. 

This year, we’re continuing to build that Momentum with VA 2021. We’re thrilled to announce that our 14th annual conference will, once again, break the mold: The event will be held both in-person and virtually. We’ll be taking everything you love about our traditional in-person conferences and combining that with last year’s highly-applauded production quality and innovation for those who prefer to tune in digitally. 

Venture Atlanta Momentum: The 2021 Conference

Last year, we were incredibly inspired by the resilience of our alumni companies, our investors, and our community as they moved forward with forging connections and closing deals. This year, we’ll keep the Momentum going and charge full speed ahead with connecting companies to capital. 

Spearheading the conference will be our 2021 Board of Directors, an impressive group of distinctive members who are pouring their time and expertise into delivering an unforgettable experience for this year’s attendees. The Board, helmed by Chairman Jim Douglass of Fulcrum Equity Partners, welcomed new members:

We’re beyond excited to see you at this year’s conference and to continue building that forward Momentum. If you’re ready to keep it moving, too, mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 21, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to ensure you stay in the loop on conference announcements, sponsorship opportunities, our call for companies, registration dates, and more. 

If you missed out on Venture Atlanta 2020 Live Online, you can watch the record-breaking conference here.

An object in motion stays in motion — together, we’ll keep moving forward.

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