Nestled away in the heart of the South, Atlanta has cultivated an environment that is stealing the national spotlight. The city offers a rich cultural landscape, where in addition to its historical prominence, the city is known as the nexus of Trap music and an overall epicenter for creatives, boasting innovative art, design, and street fashion.
While residents savor the sights and sounds of this “city in the forest,” the local economy has branched out alongside the rest of the area. The Department of Numbers has confirmed steady job growth in Atlanta during 2021, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Many industries have contributed to the increase in opportunities, but the tech sector has played a special role in propelling Atlanta to unprecedented heights.
Tech Fuels Job Opportunities in Atlanta
Atlanta has established itself as a top destination for tech professionals, and the accolades are beginning to pile up. Business Facilities magazine recognized Atlanta as the hottest growing tech hub, placing it among an elite class of tech-focused cities. Outpacing cities like Austin and Berlin, Atlanta has matured into a global economic force.
Another reason it’s become more difficult to keep this gem hidden is that 16 Atlanta companies have cracked the Fortune 500. Meanwhile, other local businesses are catching up. The Deloitte 2021 Technology Fast 500 list features 22 companies located in the Atlanta area, signaling even more growth potential for years to come.
It’s clear that Atlanta's economy has moved beyond staples like The Coca-Cola Company. Big names still decorate the city’s business sector, but waves of startups have given the metropolis depth and made it a magnet for tech jobs.
Tech Industries Sustain a Thriving Business Scene
Because of the stunning progress that numerous businesses have made, eyes within the tech industry have begun to settle on Atlanta. Perhaps one of the most impressive startup stories, MailChimp recently completed a $12 billion deal with Intuit as the company enters its next chapter. In fact, Atlanta witnessed over 20 acquisitions in 2021 alone as larger organizations find value in the area’s homegrown companies.
With such a strong local foundation already in place, tech heavyweights have felt confident about laying down roots in the peachtree region. Amazon just expanded its Buckhead office space, reinforcing the local e-commerce scene with even more muscle.
As a result, Atlanta showcases dozens of companies that continue to spread the city’s impact across industries and the globe. Renowned brands and budding startups have made it impossible to count the local sectors on two hands, but here are a few fields that anchor the tech scene in Atlanta.
CYBERSECURITY
With the increasing sophistication of cyber attacks, Atlanta has made an effort to train its workforce for a digital future. The local nonprofit City of Refuge received $5.4 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to train over 200 students in cybersecurity. While the next generation prepares for incoming attacks, plenty of companies are currently tackling security challenges head-on.
Businesses like Veeam and Siemens have experimented with cloud platforms and other methods to bring efficiency to institutions. However, professionals will discover even more projects once they immerse themselves in the Atlanta cybersecurity scene.
DIGITAL MEDIA
People may not think of the South when they consider media powerhouses, but 165 digital media companies have offices in Georgia. A majority of these businesses reside within the Atlanta area, adding another dimension to the entertainment industry.
Fans of Cartoon Network and HBO will want to offer more respect to the only city besides New York that WarnerMedia calls home. Even Discovery and The Weather Channel have set up shop in Atlanta. As a result, the local digital media landscape provides a variety of opportunities for creatives in the tech field.
FINTECH
Dubbed “Transaction Alley,” Atlanta processes roughly 70% of all transactions involving debit, credit, or prepaid cards. It’s no longer possible to deny the city’s status as a fintech center, and businesses continue to uphold this reputation with a slate of financial services and products.
Startups like Kabbage and GreenSky have brought fresh approaches and more attention to the region’s fintech industry. Having nourished a rich collection of fintech companies over the years, Atlanta is reaping the rewards of its labor.
SOFTWARE
If people still doubt whether Atlanta belongs on the list of national tech hubs, they may want to consider the city’s impact on software. Numerous software companies in Atlanta are creating cutting-edge solutions that benefit the tech economy and countless customers.
While Intelsat is streamlining communications, iZotope has been delivering improved audial experiences for musicians. In addition, tech behemoths like Google and Twilio, who have locations in Atlanta, allow professionals to explore even more career possibilities.
Atlanta continues to attract tech companies and professionals like moths to a flame. However, the city hasn’t relied on outside funding to jumpstart its tech renaissance. Major businesses are just now cashing in on the whirlwind of activity, but Atlanta can trace its tech roots to a local network of professionals and innovation centers.
Local Pipelines Remain the Bedrock of Atlanta’s Talent Pool
Instead of strictly pursuing professionals from across the country, Atlanta has developed a tech-savvy workforce with the help of an extensive local education system. Distinguished Atlanta-based colleges like Emory and Georgia Tech retain homegrown talent while the University of Georgia sits just east in Athens. The region is also home to some of the nation’s top-tier historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Morehouse College and Spelman College.
In-state talent abounds in Atlanta, but the city’s convenient position in the Southeast makes it a popular destination for college graduates from neighboring states as well. Acclaimed institutions like the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and Vanderbilt University are all less than a four-hour drive from the Georgia capital.
The proximity of many schools has enabled Atlanta to shape a diverse talent pool that rivals those of other tech hubs around the country. Although plenty of urban centers boast highly-trained workforces, few can match the professional development resources that Atlanta presents to students and recent graduates.
Tech Centers Provide More Spaces for Professionals to Connect
Atlanta has transformed into a startup center, and tech-focused spaces deserve credit for turning the city’s aspirations into a reality. Georgia Tech kick-started efforts to spur innovation back in the 1990s with its investment in an area known as Tech Square.
Located in Midtown Atlanta, Tech Square includes various labs and initiatives that bring together students, corporate executives, and other professionals. Because of projects like the Advanced Technology Development Center, the academic hub has spent the past 20 years connecting students to internships, research opportunities, and state-of-the-art experiences.
While Tech Square bridges the gap between college students and professionals, Atlanta Tech Village maintains the sense of community that students cherish. According to Crunchbase, the organization now contains over 300 startups. With so many professionals and companies in one place, Atlanta Tech Village has constructed the perfect setting for facilitating conversations and sharing ideas.
Emphasizing collaboration has paid off for the local tech sector, resulting in a prosperous startup scene. Because generations of young talent are receiving the training and support they need to come into their own, Atlanta won’t have to look beyond its boundaries when searching for the leaders of tomorrow.
Atlanta Offers a Promising Alternative Outside of Silicon Valley
The hierarchy in tech is undergoing radical readjustment, and cities like Atlanta are quickly rising. In 2021, the number of tech job postings in Atlanta surpassed those in Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco. This trend reflects the growth of local startups, revealing that the city’s economy is far from peaking.
Some may have dismissed Atlanta a decade ago as the so-called Silicon Valley of the South, but the city has done more than its fair share to earn this title. With a commitment to fostering local talent and businesses, Atlanta has built itself into a tech hub that can hold its own against its West Coast counterparts.