Invest Atlanta is the official economic development authority for the City of Atlanta. With equity front and center, its purpose is to strengthen Atlanta’s economy and global competitiveness to create increased opportunity and prosperity for the people of Atlanta.
Interested in learning more? Book a virtual office hours appointment with the Invest Atlanta team today to see how Invest Atlanta can support your business!
ATL in Business
No-cost, personalized business consultations from 13 providers for Atlanta small businesses and non-profits.
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Upcoming Partner Programs and Events
May 31st: Deadline to Apply to NextFab Ventures Spring 2022 Cohort
NextFab Ventures help hard tech entrepreneurs jump-start their business by providing them with hands-on technical and business consulting. In addition to access to equipment, software, and training, NextFab invests up to $100,000 in every selected team.
June 1st: INNOVA Conference in partnership with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute
Innova is a one-day symposium offering presentations by thought leaders from the corporate world, small business and entrepreneurs, innovation organizations, universities, and government on how innovation fuels Georgia’s growing economy.
June 1st: Deadline to Apply to Techstars Atlanta Powered by J.P. Morgan
Techstars Atlanta Powered by J.P. Morgan accelerator program is designed to provide equitable access to funding and support for Black, Hispanic and Latino, Indigenous American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs who are building the future of Commerce Technology, Consumer Brands and Platforms, and the Creator Economy.
June 3rd: Deadline to Apply to "Ignite Ideas" Cohort with Invest Atlanta
In partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal The Farm, this two-session virtual workshop will help prospective small business founders gain a better understanding of their idea. The next session will be held June 7-8, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm. Click here for FAQs.
June 13th: Deadline to Apply to Atlanta BeltLine's 2022-2023 Public Art Exhibition Season
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc is seeking qualified visual artists, art teams, performers, musicians, and sculptors at every stage of their careers to submit their credentials for our Art on the Atlanta BeltLine (“AoAB”) 2022-2023 Public Art Exhibition season.
June 13th: CMET Entrepreneur Business Accelerator Begins
The Center for Micro-Entrepreneurial Training is conducting a 5-day virtual training. This 5-day immersive training is for women and minority entrepreneurs who have limited knowledge about managing, building, or starting a new business.
June 17th: Deadline to Apply to Comcast's RISE Grant Program
Comcast will award $10,000 grants to 100 small Atlanta area businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others. The application process will open to qualifying businesses June 1-14, and prospective owners must have their businesses located in the City of Atlanta or in Fulton, Gwinnett, Clayton, Cobb or DeKalb counties.
June 20th: Deadline to Apply to Black Ambition's Prize 2022
Through two separate Prize tracks, the Black Ambition Prize competition provides a platform for early-stage, Black and Latinx founders across the nation and students and recent alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to access growth capital, pitch feedback, and mentorship.
June 24th: Deadline to Apply to VHLX in partnership with Visible Hands and Google
Google for Startups is providing $10k in cash to participating Latinx founders and teaming up with Visible Hands to support them on their journey from the start. This 12-week virtual fellowship for Latinx Founders will run August 1 to December 16, 2022.
June 30th: Deadline to Apply to Power-up Latino's Business Advancement Program
The PowerUp Latino Business Advancement Program provides personalized business counseling to businesses that want to increase sales, improve operations, implement digital processes, maintain healthy finances and gain access to capital and new customers.
Rolling: Applications Open for Whole Foods Local & Emerging Accelerator Program
The program, which supports the company’s longstanding core value of seeking win-win partnerships with local suppliers, will offer mentorship directly from Whole Foods Market experts, tailored education for small and emerging producers and the potential for financial support to promote business growth.
Rolling: Village United's ELEVATE Incubator Program Application
ELEVATE is a 12-week incubator that is tailored to serve the most urgent needs identified by small businesses. ELEVATE moves businesses from aspiration to application to the achievement of growing from sole operators to a thriving business with employees.
Rolling: LaunchPad 2x's First Friday Pitch Off Entrepreneur Application
First Pitch Friday events will be held the last Friday of each month through September 2022 from 1:00 - 2:00PM EST. LaunchPad 2x will reach out when an opportunity to participate is available and confirm dates and guidelines for the presentation.
Rolling: Goodie Nation's "Intentionally Good" Program Application
Intentionally Good is a relationship and growth program from Goodie Nation that increases the competitiveness of tech-focused social entrepreneurs and diverse founders (Black, Latinx, and Women) for endorsements, pilots and strategic partnerships, and funding through professional development, warm introductions, and mental health sessions.
Rolling: Panoramic Ventures' Startup Showdown Application
Startup Showdown offers early-stage startups the chance to pitch investors and increase their visibility among an expanded investor network. Five finalists are selected to compete on stage in front of a panel of guest investor judges where we invest $120,000 in exchange for 7% of your company.
Rolling: theClubhou.se "Make Startups" Entrepreneurship Accelerator Application
This program offers classes followed by six months of weekly mentoring which completes the full Make Startups Certificate of Entrepreneurship. The program is free if you qualify for funding through Atlanta's Workforce Development. Please add "Zane Access" in the section "where you heard about the program".
Partner Business Resources
- B Local Georgia: Works with business of all shapes and sizes, established or starting up, to obtain their B Corp Certification.
- Full Course Monthly Seminars: Partners with restaurants to optimize operations, develop sustainable growth strategies, and bring the right investors to the table.
- Tech AF: Helps founders who are pre-product and pre-revenue go from idea to product with a 16-week online course supported by live coaching and mentorship.
- Mailchimp Bloom Season Business Guide: Offers a new manual with first-hand experiences for starting, running and growing the business of your dreams.
- Technology Association of Georgia's Digital Health Ecosystem: Provides a living directory showcasing the digital health companies who have chosen Georgia.
- Invest Atlanta Dealroom Startup-Investor Platform: Connects startups, investors, and other ecosystem members via this free, virtual data platform.
- Curricula's Free Security Awareness Training Program: Provides free security awareness training program designed to help protect organizations with up to 1,000 employees and build a security culture at no cost.
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): Offers a wide range of FREE intellectual property (IP) resources, including application assistance, education and training, and other services
- SBA Mentor-Protégé Program Tutorial: Provides small businesses with business development assistance and help to successfully compete for federal contracts.
- Startup Atlanta Guide to the Ecosystem: Includes an ecosystem overview and more than 300 resources with clickable links
- How to Start a Small Business – A Veteran’s Small Business Guide: Outlines the steps to get a successful company off the ground by introducing wide range of excellent resources to help turn an idea into a successful business for veterans.
- Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Platform: Offers learning modules, expert coaching, peer networking and more. Complete two courses or coaching events to be eligible to apply for a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 grant.
- National Science Foundation's Seed Fund: Supports startups navigating the earliest stages of technology translation, investing roughly $200 million annually.
- Women in the Workplace Platform: Equips women via roundtables and marketplaces with local resources from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Invest Atlanta, WorkSource Atlanta, The Mayor’s Office of International Affairs and One Atlanta.
