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Georgia Tech

Atlanta, GA

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How to start a startup at Georgia Tech

Student Groups

Startup Exchange

Student-run startup community with weekly networking events and workshops.

Design Club

Club hosting weekly talks and workshops that explore design, UI, UX, etc.

Gourd Visual Arts Club

Club promoting drawing, graphic design, and media production through weekly events.

Society of Women in Business

Georgia Tech's premier pre-professional organization for undergraduate women - 75 members supported with community, development and networking.

GITMAD

(Georgia Institute of Tech. Mastering Android Development) - mobile app development club.

GreyHat

Community of hackers and cybersecurity enthusiasts, meets weekly.

GT Web Developers

(GT WebDev) - community of web developers, also teach workshops.

iOS Club

App development club with a focus on teaching and learning.

The Agency

Machine learning club hosting workshops for a range of skill levels.

The Makery

Maker club blending software and entry-level hardware.

Big Data Club

Community focused on big data and machine learning.

Data Science @ GT

(DSGT) - community hosting events focused on data science.

Accelerators and Incubators

Startup Launch

Selective summer accelerator program focused on taking promising products to market with mentorship and grant funding ($4k + $30k in legal & accounting services). Runs an annual Demo Day with lots of visibility.

Advanced Technology Development Center

(ATDC) - Tech Square-based incubator program housing a number of promising startups.

General Assembly

Startup space at Ponce City Market offering classes and workshops on technology, business and design both online and in person.

Applab

A hackerspace devoted to mobile app creation and development across platforms.

Change Accelerator

A new social justice accelerator - teams will work on game-changing projects that will further their causes around social justice, diversity, inclusion, equity, Black Lives Matter, and more.

TechStars

TechStars runs various 3-month accelerators - updated listings are available on their website. Applications open six times a year, and stay open typically for 12 weeks.

Hackathons and Competitions

HackGT

Georgia Tech's annual student run hackathon brings together over 1000 hackers of all majors and backgrounds, sponsors, and mentors to build for 36 hours.

InVenture Prize

Shark Tank style competition for student inventions. First place receives $20,000, a patent filing, and acceptance into CREATE-X Launch.

Ideas to Serve Competition

Early stage idea or product competition to determine which venture can best help make the world a better place - winner receives up to $5,000.

1000 Pitches

A two-month long pitch competition where students of any background, any major, any field can submit a pitch of their idea in a number of categories for a chance to win $200 in their category and potentially a grand prize for the overall winning idea.

Convergence Innovation Competition (CIC)

People, technology, and how they come together, featuring app-based and device-oriented ideas.

Other Resources

CREATE-X

GT-backed entrepreneurial programs organized into 3 major initiatives: LEARN (Startup Lab), MAKE (Idea to Prototype), and LAUNCH (Startup Launch).

Deep Startups

Roughly monthly events bringing in industry experts to take a deep dive into lesser-known spaces for innovation (run by CREATE-X).

Legal Buzz

Pro-bono office hours run periodically by a local law-firm (run by CREATE-X).

Center for Deliberate Innovation

(formerly Flashpoint) - pioneer of Deliberate Innovation framework. Runs an annual Change Accelerator and a VIP.

Vertically Integrated Projects

(VIP) - faculty-led multidisciplinary research projects for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Design Bloc

The Design Bloc is where your ideas take shape. Learn how to think, behave and invent like a creative problem-framer using design thinking through our various workshops and classes.

Maker Spaces

Georgia Tech is home to many make spaces including the Invention Studio (ME) and the Hive (ECE). Fantastic places to begin prototyping and development.

Mentor Jackets

Mentorship program pairing alumni to students on a 1:1 basis.

CREATE-X Scholars

A scholarship program for incoming freshmen students who want to pursue an entrepreneurial future.

VentureLab

On-campus startup incubator that has helped launch more than 300 companies.

Georgia Tech Integrated Programs for Startups (GT:IPS)

A streamlined licensing process and facilitation program that provides training and support to Georgia Tech faculty and students interested in launching companies based on Georgia Tech intellectual property.

GVU Center

Computer research lab - active for over 25 years.

Startup Village

A monthly gathering at Atlanta Tech Village to bring people together and present new ideas and pitches.

Hypepotamus

The go-to source of startup and technology news, interviews, events, job listings, and resources for the Southeast's innovation community.

Tech Square ATL Social Club

A members-only community that provides a curated environment designed to foster growth and innovation. Provides exclusive access to a shared workspace, community events, custom programming, mentorship opportunities, and more.

Notable Courses

Startup Lab

3 credit course focused on evidence-based entrepreneurship, particularly market validation and customer discovery. Conduct at least 20 customer interviews every week.

Idea to Prototype (I2P)

3 credit course focused on building functional prototypes with faculty mentors, guidance, and early funding.

CREATE-X Capstone

Undergraduate junior/senior design track similar to Startup Lab, where students validate and develop an early-stage venture.

Tech Ventures

Class on the theory and practice of startups. Topics covered include customer discovery, cognitive biases, rapid prototyping, pivots, teaming, ideation, leadership, negotiation, and capital raises.

MGT Courses

Funding

Contrary

University-focused venture fund investing up to $2M in emerging startups launching from the university scene around the US.

Atlanta Technology Angels

Atlanta Technology Angels is one of the more venerable angel groups in the Southeast. Members typically make seed and early-stage investments between $150,000 and $2 million. Investments include Wisegate, Predikto, CodeGuard and TerraGo.

CTW Venture Partners

Focused on seed and early stage companies, CTW Venture Partners makes $1-3 million investments in Atlanta startups. Investments include SoftWear, Sarvint Technologies, CodeGuard and Virima Technologies. CTW is led by Raj Rajan, an Atlanta-based entrepreneur and investor.

TechSquare Ventures

Atlanta based seed and early-stage venture capital firm. We partner with visionary entrepreneurs and help them with what they need most - access to markets and customers.

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