ATL Tech Startups See More Money
Institutional Venture Partners' Somesh Dash—who invested in Atlanta-based Pindrop Security—told NPR's All Tech Considered this week that "the DNA of [Atlanta] for me has always been one of disruption, one of kind of questioning the status quo." Atlanta's burgeoning angel funding scene saw firms invest $500M in local startups last year. While still paling in comparison to Silicon Valley, Cooleaf co-founder John Duisberg (second from left with his staff at Atlanta Tech Village) says local tech companies are more focused on a balance sheet and cash flow, much more conservative in their business approach. Certainly, the investment in startups can be felt on the real estate realm, with more and more offering co-working and startup spaces. And as the cost of living in California skyrockets, more Silicon Valley firms are moving to Atlanta. "I hear sometimes people say Atlanta doesn't have a good investment scene," Kanga co-founder Everett Steele tells NPR. "And this sounds harsh to say, but I think the answer is, there is money, maybe just not for the idea you have right now." [NPR]
