Atlanta mayor leads delegation to Silicon Valley
A group of technology leaders and entrepreneurs from Atlanta will head to Silicon Valley next week in an effort to elevate the city’s growing technology sector.
Mayor Kasim Reed, along with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority, will lead the delegation that will meet with 12 venture capital firms and social media platforms during their visit Feb. 25 and 26.
“Atlanta has long been a city that welcomes and nurtures talent, entrepreneurship and innovation,” Reed said. “I am confident that this trip will enable us to position our city as an ideal location for long-term tech investments and ensure that Atlanta’s technology sector continues to grow and thrive.”
Atlanta leaders will visit the heads of major technology companies, including Google, Facebook and Cisco during this three-day trip to San Francisco and Palo Alto.
Currently, just 5 percent of all venture capital investment goes to the Southeast, which includes Florida, Georgia and North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. The delegation is hopeful the trip will spur investment in promising Atlanta startups, Reed said.
“From Startup Atlanta to Govathon, we’re committed to the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Invest Atlanta CEO Brian McGowan. “When someone has a great idea or a brilliant innovation, we want them to think of Atlanta as a home for their business because we have the infrastructure and network for them to be successful here.”
Atlanta is also home to industry-transforming tech startups including Cardlytics, an advertising and technology company and the pioneer in Card-Linked Marketing, and athenahealth, one of the fastest-growing healthcare IT companies in the country.
