{"196811":{"#nid":"196811","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Strengthens ATDC to Support Growth in Technology Startups","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo help meet the growing demand for support to Georgia technology entrepreneurs and startup companies, Georgia Tech is strengthening and realigning resources in its Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), a technology accelerator that has assisted entrepreneurs for more than 30 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC will expand its staff of technology catalysts and entrepreneurs-in-residence, add new facilities to support specialized startups, and expand office and incubator space at its headquarters in midtown Atlanta\u2019s Technology Square. The expansion will involve hiring new personnel and refocusing responsibilities for some existing positions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Entrepreneurial companies are the largest source of new jobs and new economic activity in today\u0027s changing economy,\u0022 said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson. \u0022As part of our historic economic development mission, Georgia Tech has focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and new business startups. We\u0027re pleased to respond to the growing need for services that will help boost the economy and create jobs in our city, state, region, and nation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful technology companies by providing coaching, connection and community-building services. Founded in 1980, ATDC has helped create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenues by graduating more than 140 companies, which together have raised\u0026nbsp;more than a billion dollars in outside financing. During 2012, ATDC assisted 322 technology companies, currently houses more than 40 startup companies in its incubator facilities, and plans to graduate five additional companies in at its annual Startup Showcase in April.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Entrepreneurs and the fast-growth companies they create are vitally important to the future of Atlanta\u0027s economy,\u0022 said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. \u0022For decades, Georgia Tech has been the focal point for launching and building technology-based companies in Atlanta, and we\u0027re pleased to see this renewed emphasis on growing startups based on science and technology innovation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC currently has three facilities: two in Atlanta \u2014 its headquarters plus a satellite life-sciences facility on the Georgia Tech campus \u2014 and one as part of Georgia Tech facilities in Savannah. Multiple new satellite facilities are planned in Atlanta to provide space for startups with specialized needs, such as microelectronics fabrication, medical device development, advanced manufacturing and sustainable energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC serves Georgia technology entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they have a connection to Georgia Tech. However, intellectual property arising from Georgia Tech\u0027s $655 million-per-year research program has driven many recent startup companies, including photovoltaic manufacturer Suniva and medical device developer CardioMEMS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s nationally-recognized VentureLab program focuses on commercializing the results of research activities, and will benefit from the expansion of the ATDC. Related programs for startups include Flashpoint, a program that educates company leaders in startup discovery, and the National Science Foundation\u0027s (NSF) I-Corps, which teaches NSF-supported researchers to identify commercial opportunities and test their viability using scientific principles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech wants to see that our research with clear market potential gets to companies that will commercialize it,\u0022 said Stephen E. Cross, Georgia Tech\u0027s executive vice president for research. \u0022We want to fully support the creation of spinoff companies based on our research results as well as companies originating in Georgia\u0027s growing community of entrepreneurs. Altogether, VentureLab, Flashpoint and I-Corps provide a comprehensive commercialization assistance program that is the best in the nation and already launches more than 20 startups per year into ATDC.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ATDC expansion will be accomplished by reallocating existing Georgia Tech resources without additional state funding, and will be completed by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, said Stephen Fleming, a Georgia Tech vice president and general manager of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), the parent organization to both ATDC and VentureLab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This revitalization and expansion of ATDC will allow us to play an even larger role in catalyzing the innovation and creativity of Georgia entrepreneurs as they build new companies, new jobs and new economic activity,\u0022 said Fleming. \u0022The new economy is demanding a different type of support for entrepreneurs, and we\u0027re proud to respond to this challenge.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn all, ATDC expects to hire six additional entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs) and catalysts who will be focused on supporting the growth of technology entrepreneurs and startup companies. ATDC catalysts are full-time staff members who support companies and manage the programs of the incubator. ATDC EIRs are experienced entrepreneurs who work part-time for limited periods of time assisting startup companies by sharing their long-term experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, five existing EI2 employees will be reassigned to support the development of startup companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC is currently interviewing candidates for its general manager, who will oversee the planned growth. Fleming expects to name the new general manager during the second quarter of 2013. EI2 also recently hired a new principal for VentureLab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022ATDC has been the center of Georgia\u0027s technology community for more than three decades, and it has served as a model for what states and universities can do to help grow a dynamic community of startups,\u0022 said Fleming. \u0022We\u0027re confident that this expansion will position ATDC to help move Georgia forward, building on the strong community of technology entrepreneurs we already have.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo help meet the growing demand for support to Georgia technology entrepreneurs and startup companies, Georgia Tech is strengthening and realigning resources in its Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), a technology accelerator that has assisted entrepreneurs for more than 30 years.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is strengthening and realigning resources in its Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) technology accelerator"}],"uid":"27262","created_gmt":"2013-03-04 17:38:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:44","author":"Fletcher Moore","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-03-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-03-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"196281":{"id":"196281","type":"image","title":"Centergy Building","body":null,"created":"1449179906","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:26","changed":"1531135132","gmt_changed":"2018-07-09 11:18:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"196427","name":"centergy-bldg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/centergy-bldg_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/centergy-bldg_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1799216,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/centergy-bldg_1.jpg?itok=rnmB0q-M"}}},"media_ids":["196281"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"166973","name":"startup"},{"id":"171257","name":"startup company"},{"id":"60211","name":"technology startup"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}