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  <created>1502802042</created>
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  <title><![CDATA[Companies selected for new Tech Square-based venture firm]]></title>
  <body><![CDATA[<p>Eight companies will be part of the inaugural class of <a href="https://engage.vc/">Engage Ventures</a>, a new early-stage venture firm created by Georgia Tech and 10 leading global companies.</p>

<p>The selected startups are from across the country and the companies&rsquo; leaders include first-time founders and serial entrepreneurs. The startups are:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Bee Downtown is working to build healthy, sustainable,&nbsp;honey bee communities around the world.</li>
	<li>Cyrano is a leadership communications platform using video messaging to help businesses better connect and engage with employees.</li>
	<li>EmployUs helps companies hire more referrals by automating the employee referral process.</li>
	<li>Fast Radius enables companies to manage the design, engineering, prototyping and production of end-use parts with&nbsp;digital manufacturing&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Gauge Insights is a platform&nbsp;for companies to obtain feedback from customers in minutes.</li>
	<li>Sudu is a technology-based logistics company that offers an end-to-end platform to match shippers and carriers based upon route organization.</li>
	<li>The Mom Project is a marketplace and community that connects enterprises with diverse female talent.</li>
	<li>TransRisk creates products and solutions that help transportation industry participants efficiently manage price risk in the North American freight transportation market.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Cyrano and Sudu are part of the <a href="http://atdc.org/">Advanced Technology Development Center</a> (ATDC), which was established at Georgia Tech by Georgia lawmakers in 1980 to launch and build technology companies. Engage Ventures will offer programming and other services through a contract with ATDC.</p>

<p>Engage Ventures is the largest strategic grouping of major corporations in an independent venture firm. The focus is helping startups develop and execute go-to-market strategies.</p>

<p>&ldquo;What makes Engage unique is the level of access and interaction with our founding corporate partners at the executive and C-suite level to help streamline partnerships and strategic relationships with these startups and growth companies,&rdquo; said Thiago Olson, managing director at Engage Ventures.</p>

<p>The 10 founding companies contributing capital, expertise, time and resources in support of Engage include AT&amp;T, Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power Foundation Inc., Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Invesco Ltd., The Home Depot&nbsp;and UPS. Executives from these firms will serve as mentors to the companies receiving financial support from the venture fund.</p>

<p>Engage is headquartered in Georgia Tech&rsquo;s Technology Square.&nbsp;</p>
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      <value>2017-08-15T00:00:00-04:00</value>
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      <value><![CDATA[Engage Ventures is an early-stage venture firm created by Georgia Tech and 10 leading global companies.]]></value>
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      <value><![CDATA[<p>Eight companies will be part of the inaugural class of&nbsp;Engage Ventures, an early-stage venture firm created by Georgia Tech and 10 leading global companies.</p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Tech Square]]></title>
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      <email><![CDATA[laura.diamond@gatech.edu ]]></email>
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      <value><![CDATA[<p>Laura Diamond, laura.diamond@gatech.edu&nbsp;</p>
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