By Anastasia Simon, Managing Partner of Techstars Atlanta

We’re not the next Silicon Valley. We’re the first Atlanta.

That’s the view I’m bringing as the new Managing Partner of Techstars Atlanta and the commitment I’m making to every founder, investor, and builder in this city.

This isn’t about imitation. It’s about elevation, because to quote André Laren Benjamin (Andre 3000 from Outkast), “the South still has something to say.” 

Atlanta is home

Those of us who have been living and working in Atlanta for a while remember what it was like over a decade ago when Techstars announced its first Atlanta accelerator. The city was buzzing with energy, corporate leaders, investors, and builders of all types were ready to get messy, make mistakes, and support our local founders. Back then, the circle was tight, everyone knew everyone, and it was a true community with hyper focus. 

Since then, things have changed. Atlanta is different, we are different, and the startup community has evolved. In the past fifteen years, the city has produced 20+ startup unicorns — Calendly, Salesloft, Flock Safety, Greenlight, and Mailchimp, to name a few — proving that world-class companies can scale from the South. We are a magnet for top-tier talent, and an amazing new crop of founders, investors, and leaders are fighting to make sure our growth keeps pace with our ambition. 

I started my career in Atlanta as the first hire at a multiline apparel showroom, selling mid-priced dresses across the Southeast. I was able to turn that early B2B sales experience into managing marketing and sales for startups like Softwear Automation and Spinrilla. Eventually, my hard work and tenacity landed me at Techstars as a Venture Principal and Managing Director, leading investments in founders who reflect the full diversity of this region, and helping build the connective tissue that powers startups in the South.

Atlanta is the South’s startup engine. Entrepreneurs are creators of the future. I’m bullish on both.

I could go on all day about what makes Atlanta the perfect place to build the next unicorn, home to 57 colleges and universities, one the highest concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters in the U.S., one of the nation’s most dynamic startup ecosystems, lemon pepper wings, and a thriving entertainment industry — but there’s so much more to what we’re building. 

Evolving the vision

Along with our amazing local board, composed of Tim Dorr, Jennifer Singh, Landon Howell, Justin Dawkins, and Chris Moreno, and the support of countless others along the way, I have been hard at work developing a new vision for the future of Techstars in Atlanta. 

We’ll be leveraging what works, evolving the things that didn’t, and making sure this experience from start to finish is uniquely Atlanta. This version of Techstars Atlanta will be locally owned, governed, and operated for the community, by the community, and it will have access to the resources that have made Techstars one of the top global accelerators. 

On top of that, the vast majority of the capital will come from the local ecosystem, allowing us to remain aligned on economic incentives and keep the returns and control in the local ecosystem. With Techstars as one of our anchor investors, they will be supporting local activity and granting our founders access to everything that has made Techstars a world leader. 

This next phase isn’t just about great outcomes; it’s about building a flywheel that will position Atlanta as a leader in innovation for decades to come. To do so, we’ve not only evolved the ways we collaborate with Techstars and our local partners, but we’ve also evolved what we’re looking for in founders and companies. 

Our thesis

We are investing in companies across sectors where Atlanta provides an unfair advantage:

• Future of Work: HR tech and corporate training are scaling steadily, with market growth projected at 7–10% CAGR.

• Future of Care: Digital health is a $289B market, and is expected to triple to $946B by 2030 (22% CAGR).

• Sustainability & Climate Tech: Multi-billion dollar markets with proven resilience in funding slowdowns and rising long-term demand.

This program is for pre-seed founders who are ready to turn early conviction into real traction.

Let’s build

If you are a founder, mentor, investor, or operator who believes in this region, I want to hear from you.

We’ll be hosting a town hall in Atlanta next month to give everyone the opportunity to learn more about our vision and answer all of your questions. Stay tuned to LinkedIn for more details.

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