BREAKING: Techstars Atlanta Names New Managing Partner
Anastasia Simon has been with the Techstars organization since 2022, first as a Venture Principal for Techstars Impact and Techstars Atlanta powered by Cox Enterprises. Last year she served as the Managing Director for Techstars climate-focused program in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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The local startup community has been waiting for more details to emerge around what’s next for Techstars Atlanta. The program, which has been a staple in the city’s startup community since 2016, announced late last year it was entering its “second season” as a “community-backed initiative,” something former managing director Tim Dorr shared on Hypepotamus in April.
Well, we finally have some answers. And it starts with the announcement that Anastasia Simon has been tapped as the program’s new Managing Partner.
Meet The Managing Partner
Simon is no stranger to the Hypepotamus audience. We’ve highlighted her career trajectory as she pivoted from the fashion world to startups and ultimately into venture capital. Before joining Techstars, Simon served as Marketing Manager for Atlanta-based SoftWear Automation and a Senior Associate at Shadow Ventures.
She’s been with the Techstars organization since 2022, first as a Venture Principal for Techstars Impact and Techstars Atlanta powered by Cox Enterprises. Last year she served as the Managing Director for Techstars climate-focused program in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Simon told Hypepotamus that she is ready to lead the next iteration of Techstars, a program she said has “set the standard” for “founder centric” startup accelerators. With its core focus on community, she also said that the Techstars program is getting “back to the roots” of the program.
What To Expect From Techstars Atlanta
“It’s the same Techstars network and infrastructure” but with a local board and partners, she said. Techstars will be an “anchor” investor in the new program. Additional details about other investors joining have not yet been released. The “vast majority” of the capital will come from the Atlanta ecosystem, which will allow the program to be “aligned on economic incentives and keep the returns and control in the local ecosystem,” Simon added in a written statement on the Techstars website.
The program is targeting applications to open early 2026.
Simon says the organization is focused on being “for us, by us” when it comes to supporting and collaborating with the Atlanta technology ecosystem. In terms of startups they are looking to bring through the next chapter of the accelerator, Simon said that she is looking particularly at companies building around the future of care and work, as well as those working on sustainability and ClimateTech solutions.
Simon and the new Techstars Atlanta team will be hosting a town hall in Atlanta next month. Details around the town hall will be shared on their LinkedIn page.
Techstars Atlanta Over The Years
The Techstars logo has been central to the Atlanta startup ecosystem over the years, with its Demo Days serving as “can’t miss” events at popular local venues like The Eastern and The Tabernacle.
Success stories coming out of Techstars Atlanta over the last nine years include Bark Technologies, PadSplit, Motivo, MaxRewards, ServeScape, Sequr, SAWA (acquired by Mailchimp), and OrderNerd (acquired by PopMenu). The program has also brought startups from Canada, Israel, Latvia, and across the United States to Atlanta.
