Venture Atlanta Companies Cross Billion Dollar Funding Threshold

Milestone Cements Georgia as Among the Top Start-up Hubs in the United States

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Venture Atlanta, a nonprofit which connects Georgia entrepreneurs with venture capitalists, angel investors and others who support start-ups, is proud to report that its presenting companies have cumulatively raised more than one billion dollars in capital since 2002.

“Today, signs of community and cohesiveness abound and the passing of this billion dollar mark is just an example of that”

“Atlanta’s start-up scene has long existed, but the founding of Venture Atlanta by leaders from the Atlanta CEO Council, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) served to coalesce and accelerate its growth,” notes Ashish Mistry, partner at BLH Venture Partners, who has been involved in Venture Atlanta since the very beginning. “Today, signs of community and cohesiveness abound and the passing of this billion dollar mark is just an example of that,” he adds.

In further evidence of the growing power of the Atlanta tech community, BrightWhistle, Digital Assent, Kabbage, Scoutmob, and SoloHealth and are among past presenting companies that have just had successful capital raises.

Perhaps even more remarkable that the accelerating flow of capital is that the one billion dollar figure does not include exits by past presenting companies such as Vitrue (acquired by Oracle for$330 million) and BLiNQ Media (acquired by Gannett for an undisclosed amount).

Spence McClelland, chairman of Venture Atlanta 2012 and principal at Noro-Moseley Partners, says, “This is an important milestone for our community. It puts Georgia firmly on any investor’s map as a source for deal flow.”

Each year, Venture Atlanta attracts hundreds of investors nationwide who attend to meet Georgia’s most promising start-ups. Each year, hundreds of companies apply and vie to be among the 40 or so companies to present.

Venture Atlanta 2012 will be held October 17 and 18 at the Georgia Aquarium. Registration is now open, and limited number of media passes are available for qualified individuals.

About Venture Atlanta
Founded in 2002, Venture Atlanta connects Georgia’s top technology innovators with the country’s top tier investors. The state’s largest investor showcase, Venture Atlanta is a nonprofit collaboration of three leading business organizations: the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Register to attend at VentureAtlanta.org.