Community and AI Innovation Shine At This Year’s Venture Atlanta

Earlier this month, Venture Atlanta, one of the country’s largest and most prestigious investor conferences, celebrated its 17th year with another sold-out event at the High Museum of Art and Atlanta Symphony Hall. With 1,500 attendees and 450 funds from across the nation, this year’s conference continued to set new records and raise the bar for networking.

#VA2024: Focus On Building Tech Community

Perhaps more than any other year, Venture Atlanta 2024 presented a strong show of community. There seemed to be more opportunities than ever to socialize and collaborate with one another.

One of the many standout events in this vein was the block party that took place outdoors under a large tent on the final day. The excitement there about our vibrant tech ecosystem was nearly palpable. We’re paraphrasing, but Joey Womack of Goodie Nation, this year’s Venture Atlanta chair, described it as like attending a lively tailgating event during his college days. 

(Tech shout-out: One new networking aspect we really liked was part of the Venture Atlanta app—a “Tinder” style function that lets attendees learn more about other attendees and then send instant invites to connect.)

Practical Application Of AI Takes Center Stage

This year, Venture Atlanta broke another record with 630 presenter applications—a 15 percent increase over last year and the most applicants ever. From that impressive pool, 88 presenting and showcase companies were selected. Ultimately, just 10 finalists were tapped to take the stage to pitch their startups live in front of judges.

While artificial intelligence was certainly all the buzz at last year’s Venture Atlanta, this year the focus shifted to its practical application. Most of the pitching startups offered AI-based solutions to real-world issues, often inspired by their own experiences. From tax preparation platforms to communications solutions for the deaf community to tools for managing divorce disputes, AI was front and center, making even the most difficult tasks easier and more streamlined.

Winner of the $500,000 “Startup Showcase Live” competition was SmartWiz, a platform designed to help accounting professionals optimize their tax preparation processes. 

A Moment of Reflection

Despite the excitement of Venture Atlanta, there was also an undercurrent of concern about the recent destruction and loss of life in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the Southeast, and Hurricane Milton, which was poised to strike Florida. As the Southeast’s largest investor conference, there were many minds on the region’s suffering. 

(One bright spot for our team: We were relieved and thrilled that Carabiner VP Sarah Broberg, who resides in Asheville where hurricane damage was especially significant, was safe and still able to attend Venture Atlanta with us.)

Looking Ahead to 2025

Venture Atlanta 2024 proved once again why it’s a cornerstone event for startups and investors alike. There was so much to experience, from the many networking opportunities to innovative applications to the excellent and inspirational keynote on “Championship Mentality” delivered by Dawn Staley, celebrated head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team. Clearly, Venture Atlanta 2024 was a success on all fronts. 

Joey Womack did an outstanding job as this year’s chair, fostering an event rich in heart and community. Next year’s chair, Elizabeth Stephens of Noro-Moseley Partners, is sure to build on this year’s momentum, and we can’t wait to see what she brings to the table.

Here’s to another great Venture Atlanta in the books! Congrats to Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman and the entire #VA2024 team!

(To hear or read WABE radio’s take on this year’s Venture Atlanta happenings, go here.) 

The Carabiner team at #VA2024 (L-R): Sarah Broberg, Paulette Brown, Dana Cogan, Peter Baron