Win Dial-Up Dough | AOL's Co-Founder Earmarks $100K For ATL Startup

Steve Case, the co-founder of AOL and chair and CEO of Revolution, is coming to Atlanta on Thursday, May 7th on the Rise of the Rest tour. And that's right folks, he's looking for a local startup to invest $100K in on the spot. The Rise of the Rest tour sheds light on all of the cool innovations happening in places other than Silicon Valley, and this is our chance to show Steve how it's done in the South.

David Cummings, the founder of Atlanta Tech Village, is looking forward to highlighting Atlanta's startup community's recent growth. “The momentum that I've seen in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta over the last several years is inspiring. Atlanta has risen to the forefront as one of the best places in America to start a technology business. We are excited to welcome Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest tour next month to showcase some of these dynamic entrepreneurial leaders," he says.

The day will kick off with a tour of local startup spaces and meetings with civic leaders. In the early afternoon the bus will arrive at Opera nightclub for a fireside chat with Steve about the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs, the Rise of the Rest concept, and how this is the best moment in recent history to start and scale a business in Atlanta. Next, 10 of the most innovative local startup companies will be given the opportunity to pitch Steve and a panel of all-star judges for 5 minutes, with a $100,000 investment prize going to the winning startup.

“Steve Case, the Revolution team, and our partners are excited to showcase Atlanta’s innovative, entrepreneurial ecosystem during our Rise of the Rest bus tour on May 7th. During the visit Steve Case will invest in local startup, hear directly from founders and community leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing the startup economy, and talk about the significance of helping new businesses launch and scale in places like Atlanta and across the U.S.,” comments the lead tour organizer, Herbie Ziskend of Revolution LLC.

This will be one of the biggest events in Atlanta's startup community calendar this year, and definitely can't be missed.

The Details

When:May 7 2:00PM - Fireside Chat3:00PM - Pitch Competition5:00PM - Happy Hour Party

Where:
Opera Nightclub
1150 Cresent Ave NE

Apply to Enter the Pitch Competition

Companies will be judged according to the following criteria:• Bold Idea: Does the idea "swing for the fences" and have the potential to change the world - and, if successful, perhaps become a billion-dollar business? • Jobs: Will the idea, if it scales, employ a large number of people? • Team: Does the team have the skills and leadership to move forward on this idea? • Execution: Is there strong customer growth or revenue? • Business Model: Has a revenue model been defined and is it realistic and sustainable? • Local: Is this idea building on the core strengths (and unique differentiators) of the region - and, if selected, will this startup potentially excite national investors and media to pay more attention to what's happening in the region?

[Photos Provided by Revolution LLC]