Advanced Technology Development Center

As Georgia’s technology business incubator, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) assists technology entrepreneurs across the state of Georgia from IDEA to commercial SUCCESS. The organization provides business incubation and acceleration services to startups through coaching, connecting, and community. A local Startup Catalyst provides mentorship and resources to Savannah tech entrepreneurs.

History & Overview of the Advanced Technology Development Center

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, ATDC is a program of the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was established in 1980 by the Georgia General Assembly, which funds it every year.  ATDC’s mission is to work with entrepreneurs in Georgia to help them learn, launch, scale, and succeed in the creation of viable, disruptive technology companies.

Since its founding, ATDC has grown to become one of the longest-running and most successful university-affiliated incubators in the United States. Its graduate startup companies have raised $3 billion in investment financing and generated more than $12 billion in revenue in the state of Georgia. 

In 2014, ATDC established its Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program which pairs Select Companies with successful businesspeople living in cities across Georiga.  Today these Startup Catalysts serve as guides, coaches, and resources to help technology firms living in their area thrive and grow. The program is located in seven cities across Georgia, including Savannah.

ATDC’s Programs and Services

ATDC’s incubation and acceleration services focus on four areas: curriculum, coaching, connections, and community.

• Curriculum – Developed with the ever-evolving needs of startups in mind, the dynamic ATDC curriculum incorporates startup best practices and the collective experience of ATDC staff and industry experts from Georgia and beyond. ATDC offers its core curriculum to Educate, Accelerate, and Signature members. This includes a progression through three courses: ATDC Educate Entrepreneurship 101, ATDC Educate Financial Literacy 102, and ATDC Customer Discovery. Throughout the year, they also offer a number of free electives featuring various business and startup experts.
• Coaching – ATDC Educate members and companies in the ATDC incubator program can access coaching on a one-on-one basis via ATDC’s staff of experienced entrepreneurs, industry partners, and startup subject matter experts. They can also seek advice from ATDC’s talented pool of pay-it-forward volunteer mentors.
• Connections – ATDC sponsors and partners donate time, money, and resources to help founders and their startups thrive. Community partners help startups, in their various stages and various types of organizations, interact as a system to create and scale new startup companies. A few of these partners include Invest Atlanta, Venture Atlanta, Atlanta Technology Angels, and the Technology Association of Georgia.
• Community – ATDC is a collection of like-minded entrepreneurs learning and growing together as a community. The classes, speaker series, and networking events organized by ATDC create connectivity, collision, and opportunity for tech entrepreneurs.