By Margarita Mangino

At Puzzle, an Atlanta Tech Company, we’re excited to contribute to and be part of Atlanta’s burgeoning tech scene. Today, we offer an insider’s view into the meteoric rise of this often-underestimated tech hub, giving you six key reasons why Atlanta’s tech industry is an unsung hero of the digital age.

While Silicon Valley and Seattle have long held their tech supremacy, surging rent and saturation have spurred a search for a new tech frontier. Often referred to as “The Silicon Valley of the South,” and with nearly over 5 million residents, Greater Atlanta has quietly emerged as the southeastern United States’ premier tech hub, headquartered in Georgia.

The city experiences an influx of billions of dollars in revenue annually, attributed to the collaborative efforts of Fortune 500 corporations and emerging startups alike.

Why Atlanta’s Tech Scene Is Set to Boom in 2023

Atlanta’s Prime Location: A Strategic Advantage Atlanta’s prime geographic positioning, coupled with its status as a major transportation hub, offers unparalleled access to key markets across the southern, eastern, and midwestern United States. The presence of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, ensures seamless connectivity to global destinations. Unlike Silicon Valley’s dispersed tech presence across multiple cities, Atlanta’s tech community is concentrated, lending the city a distinctive dynamism.

Affordability Attracts Tech Talent Atlanta’s cost-of-living benefits, including lower housing costs, are drawing tech professionals to the city. For instance, Nerdwallet’s cost of living calculator shows that Atlanta’s housing costs are nearly 200% lower than San Francisco’s, making Atlanta an attractive option for tech workers relocating from pricier states.

A Multitude of Job Opportunities Atlanta’s tech industry is remarkably diverse, offering a wealth of employment options in areas like marketing, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. In 2022, Atlanta listed 12,050 tech job openings, outpacing other southeastern states, as per the Dice Tech Job report. WalletHub also ranked Atlanta third for employment growth and quality of life, making it a hotbed for tech job seekers.

Investment and Innovation Fuel Growth TechCrunch reports that Atlanta’s tech companies attracted $3.7 billion in venture capital in 2022 alone. Top recipients included appointment-scheduling app Calendly and money management platform Greenlight Financial Technology. This surge in venture capital indicates a robust future for Atlanta’s tech industry.

The Rise of the Unicorns As of May 2021, at least 18 Atlanta tech startups achieved ‘unicorn’ status, denoting a valuation of over $1 billion before going public. Local startups like Flock Safety and Greenlight have reached this milestone in less than a decade, confirming Atlanta as a fertile ground for billion-dollar startups.

Community Support: A Pillar for Growth Atlanta offers various incubators and support programs for entrepreneurs, such as Atlanta Tech Village. Furthermore, organizations like the Technology Workers Coalition, Women in Tech, and CITP offer advocacy and educational resources to the city’s 140,000 tech workers. Mayor Andre Dickenson also invested $1.8 million in education and workforce development, reinforcing Atlanta’s commitment to its tech community.

Atlanta’s Tech Epicenters

While the entire Atlanta metropolitan area plays a pivotal role in the local tech industry’s growth, a select few locales truly shine.

• Midtown Atlanta: This area is home to Technology Square, a key hub in the local tech community. With 15 corporate innovation centers, numerous tech incubators and accelerators, and over 150 startups, Midtown is a thriving epicenter of innovation.

• Buckhead: Anchored by the renowned Atlanta Tech Village, the 4th largest tech incubator complexes, Buckhead significantly fuels Atlanta’s tech prowess.

• Alpharetta: Situated 30 miles north of Atlanta, Alpharetta has emerged as a formidable player in the tech arena. Often referred to as “The Technology City of the South,” it houses 700 technology companies.

• Peachtree Corners: Recognized early on for its tech potential, Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County is home to innovative spaces like Atlanta Tech Park, accommodating over 100 companies.

  
  

These tech hotspots collectively contribute to Atlanta’s thriving tech ecosystem.

Be Part of Atlanta's Tech Revolution

As an Atlanta Tech Company, we invite other tech leaders to join us in enriching this dynamic tech hub. Through community engagement, such as job fairs and conferences, we can all play a role in shaping Atlanta’s tech future.

If keeping pace with Atlanta’s booming tech scene becomes challenging, consider partnering with experts in software outsourcing. At Puzzle, we offer businesses in Atlanta scalable solutions through our remote tech talent pool, featuring aligned time zones and bilingual teams from Latin America.

Learn more by visiting https://app.puzzle.tech/