Cover Story: Atlanta’s six best co-working spaces for startups
Tired of your coffee shop headquarters or basement offices? Here’s a half-dozen places where local entrepreneurs are growing their companies.
Name: Atlanta Tech Village
Neighborhood: Buckhead
Year established: 2012
Number of startups: 106
Cost: $300-$2,600 per month
ATV is the South’s largest co-working space. The five-story, 103,000-square-foot facility contains mostly B2B companies and has all of sorts of bells and whistles, including ping-pong tables and scooters. Its price tag can be prohibitively expensive, which some detractors say has created an exclusive internal culture, but it’s undoubtedly a cornerstone of Atlanta’s startup scene.
Name: Hypepotamus
Neighborhood: Midtown
Year established: 2012
Number of startups: 45-50
Cost: Free
Located in the Biltmore Hotel’s basement, Hypepotamus is the city’s only free startup center. Because of its open-door policy, the campus remains Atlanta’s most energetic space. While the atmosphere can be distracting, it’s a minor complaint given the space’s location on Tech Square, vibrancy, and interesting array of businesses.
Name: Advanced Technology Development Center
Neighborhood: Midtown
Year established: 1980
Number of startups: 25
Cost: $250 per month and up
ATDC is the grandfather of Atlanta startup spaces. For more than 30 years, it’s helped spawn firms as part of the Georgia Tech-affiliated business incubator. While the Tech Square office’s corporate-park aesthetic feels outdated and a bit stuffy, it’s begun renovations to catch up with the city’s hipper and more modern tech spaces. What ATDC lacks in colorful walls it makes up for in top-notch mentorship.
Name: Strongbox West
Neighborhood: Underwood Hills
Year established: 2009
Number of startups: 60
Cost: $85-$850 per month
The northwest Atlanta space is one of the city’s more casual and diverse startup hubs. While the companies here aren’t as tech-focused as its counterparts, they are an interesting assortment, ranging from software coders to food truck operators.
Name: The Goat Farm
Neighborhood: Westside
Year established: 2013
Number of startups: 8
Cost: $350-$1,500 per month
While the Goat Farm is known more for artist studios, it’s also become home to a select number of startups. Located inside a wing alongside blacksmiths and painters, this handful of entrepreneurs is a solid addition to the historic compound’s vibrant arts community.
Name: NEX Atlanta
Neighborhood: Grant Park
Year established: 2010
Number of startups: 10
Cost: $25-$150 per month
NEX Atlanta, initially known as HUB Atlanta, is a small space occupied by a tight-knit, experienced group of entrepreneurs. Currently located in a cozy two-story space inside the Jane, it’s soon expanding to a larger space inside the same Memorial Drive complex.