[frogstomp19]

Not OP but I'm a software engineer working for a startup in ATL. I'm not sure how we have a reputation for being "dominated by business types", but we do have a relatively high contingent of fintech and b2b companies here (our only unicorn, Kabbage, plus several others like Square, Salesloft, Salesforce). I think though that our pool of engineering talent is relatively high - I'd guess it's the most likely landing spot for good engineers from the southeast.

[noodle]

> I'm not sure how we have a reputation for being "dominated by business types"

Two things:

1. Atlanta's tech scene is largely b2b. Its driven a lot by people who worked in industry and then had a great idea for a company and left. Or serial entrepreneurs who are capable of building a business but not a product. So a lot of companies simply originate from "business types" because they're founded by them, for them.

2. ATV. ATV strived to make itself the face of the ATL startup scene, and generally succeeded. But the resources ATV provides are all primarily aimed at business types - pitch practices, VC events, demo days, and networking gatherings. And so business types gathered there, since that's a convenient place to be, and the successful companies went elsewhere due to rising rent. So now, ATV is largely the face of startups in Atlanta, and yet is a building filled with "business types" hustling to get their company started or funding secured. The optics on the startup ecosystem are consequently very heavily "business types" because everyone tends to just look at ATV as the thermometer.

[alistproducer2]

For those outside ATL, ATV = Atlanta tech village [1]

1: http://atlantatechvillage.com

[ithinkinstereo]

I think by "business types" the OP means that most of the tech/startup scene consists of people more on the business-side: marketers, salespeople, general "hustlers", etc., rather than technical hackers.

[mjn]

There's a medtech and health-IT cluster as well, partly due to Emory's med school, and Atlanta being a regional hospital center. Much of that's b2b too (though there are a few Fitbit-style b2c health-IT companies), but different set of people than most b2b companies are, and with its own set of startup incubators (Neurolaunch, Sling Health Atlanta, Global Center for Medical Innovation, etc.).

Random example companies: http://www.virtuallybetter.com/, http://safeheartus.com/

[ynniv]

Don't forget AirWatch on the unicorns list.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2014/03/un...

[billyhoffman]

> only unicorn Kabbage

Uhhh Let me introduce you to a little company called Internet Security Systems. $1.3B+ acquisition by IBM.

[frogstomp19]

I could be wrong here but my understanding is if a company is acquired they WERE a unicorn (if the acquisition was for $1B+) but they aren't a unicorn after the acquisition.

[billyhoffman]

I go the other way. Your valuation means jack until you are acquired . It's just some VCs thinking you've built $1 billion business. For example YikYak being valued at $400M. Actually getting acquired for $1 billion... now that's special and rare

[charlescearl]

Mailchimp?

[FrobozzElectric]

I would imagine MC would qualify as a unicorn.

Off topic - I always get such bizarre vibes when I interact with anyone from MC or hear of others' interactions with MC employees (ATL here).

[wuliwong]

I just read an article that there revenue for 2016 was estimated to be $400 million. Not bad. I don't know what the profits were but I would guess that gets them 'unicorn status.' :)

[ynniv]

What kind of vibe? Email me?