Atlanta Grows into a Bustling Tech Industry Hub

Deep Kalina • 1 year ago

The votes are in, and it’s official: The tech world has a new hub. If you’re looking for a digital product agency for Web, Android and iOS Development, look to Atlanta!

KnowAtlanta named its namesake city “The Tech Mecca of the Southeast.” The article highlighted all of the tech activities centered around Midtown Atlanta, Buckhead, Alpharetta, and Peachtree Corners.

It also rounded up a bunch of good news featured in other publications:

  • No. 1 Metro Area Tech Hub (Business Facilities, 2020)
  • No. 4 State for Percent of Female Workers in Tech Occupations (CompTIA, 2020)
  • No. 4 Metro Area Cyber City (Business Facilities, 2020)
  • No. 1 City for Startups That is Not New York or San Francisco (FitSmallBusiness.com, 2018)
  • No. 1 Gaming Environment (WalletHub, 2019)

Google also noticed the good word about Georgia’s capital city. An edition of Google Arts & Culture focused on business startups celebrated Atlanta as a “mashup of many Fortune 500 companies, the world’s busiest airport, the highest number of colleges and universities in the U.S., a thriving creative community, and significant cultural diversity.”

So what’s the deal? How did Atlanta become a booming tech hotspot?

For one thing, the state government offered tax credits to increase job growth. Georgia tax exemptions allow companies to save money on startup and operation costs. In addition, there are tax credits for

  • investing in R&D
  • shipping through ports
  • making key expansion investments

According to taxfoundation.org, Georgia offers the eighth-best corporate tax rate in the U..S. California clocks in at No. 46, Texas is at 47, and New York hits the list at 24. 

The collection of Georgia incentives has been a clarion call for major companies and startups that now call Atlanta their home base. In addition, companies based elsewhere have been lured to open offices in the Big Peach to take advantage of the reduced tax burden.

You can also throw demographic change into the mix. Atlanta is becoming a younger city. More than 71,000 people moved into the city from 2010 to 2020.

Another factor was hinted at in the Google piece, which mentioned the number of colleges and universities. From 1975 to 2015, the percentage of the population with bachelor’s degrees or higher went from 12 to 35.8 percent.

Atlanta-based Georgia Tech produces the most technology graduates per year in the U.S., according to research firm CBRE, which listed Atlanta as the eighth-best city for sourcing tech talent in a 2021 report.

All of these data points suggest that a company looking for digital product design for startups would be well-served to see what Atlanta has to offer.

That’s music to the ears of the leadership of Intuitio Labs, a digital product agency that’s currently riding the crest of Atlanta’s tech wave.

Mosaic recently named Intuitio Labs one of the “30 Top Product Development Firms in the US for 2022.” Intuitio Labs came in at No. 9 and sported a 5 Rating on Clutch, thanks to customer reviews.

Startups Finding Success

iOS Development
iOS Development

In 2019, venture capitalists pumped $1.8 billion into Atlanta’s economy. The metro area also has more than 13,000 technology companies in telecom, cyber security, digital media, and more.

It’s a vibrant tech ecosystem, and a fertile area for new startups to take root.

TmrO is an Atlanta-based company that uses the world wide web to connect musical freelancers with clients. The company’s app allows for quick bookings and payments, and it reduces commission costs.

The company’s goal is to give talented people the tools they need to thrive in the music industry.

In order to accomplish that goal, the company had to make a switch mid-stream. Its previous digital partner wasn’t getting the job done, so it went looking for a better product design and development partner.

Of the many development companies Atlanta has to offer, Intuition Labs is the only one to be named to Mosaic’s list of “30 Top Product Development Firms in the US for 2022.” The team at TmrO chose Intuitio Labs to help accomplish its vision.

Intuitio Labs designed and developed the product, created the architecture, and optimized the features, so TmrO App could better serve its customers. Now, musicians are free to

  • Show their talents.
  • Collaborate with like-minded people.
  • Work consistently.
  • Get paid. 

TuneCore Social is a platform designed to promote musicians around the world. The company makes it easier for artists to engage with fans through social media.

Intuitio Labs worked on the project from conception to completion. The finished product includes

  • an artist profile creation wizard
  • sharable web- and mobile-optimized artist profiles
  • a dashboard for artists
  • integrated social posting

In its own way, Intuitio Labs contributed to the effort by providing feature development, feature prioritization, and platform improvements. 

Intuitio Labs’ philosophy for digital product design for startups means the mobile apps and websites it develops can be scaled up as clients grow their businesses. 

Digital Product Design for Web, Android and iOS Development

iOS Development
iOS Development

Though Atlanta is a major hotspot for technology jobs, it’s not without its problems. As with other tech hubs, the city is a job seekers market. As a result, major companies are willing to pay top dollar. Talented designers have been known to get 4 and 5-figure bonuses just for agreeing to work with a company.

This puts stress on startups when they have to compete for employees. One emerging answer is team augmentation, which involves hiring skilled workers on a contract basis. It’s usually over a short period and for a specific project.

Intuitio Labs has been filling that role with more and more companies that need digital product design for Web, Android and iOS Development. Intuitio Labs is giving access to the growing talent pool, but the company has a global workforce that can get a mobile app or website up and running in six to 12 weeks.

In the short run, team augmentation is less expensive than hiring full-time employees. By bringing on a team to focus on digital products, the rest of the client’s workforce is able to focus on other priorities.

The arrangement can give the client a competitive edge and push the startup that much closer to profitability.

Going Forward

The founders at Intuitio Labs have been providing solutions for digital problems for nearly two decades. We were an early investor in Metro Atlanta. While we don’t take credit for the tech tsunami, we’re proud to ride the massive wave that the rest of the world is beginning to recognize.

Our talented team of designers and developers have a passion for pushing their creativity in ways that benefit our clients.

Our approach to digital product design for startups is to get our clients’ mobile apps and websites up and running as soon as possible. After years of working with startups and private equity, we’ve learned there’s no need to stack on extra features to impress investors. As your company grows, we’re happy to step in again and expand your digital products in ways that further your vision. 

Atlanta is overflowing with tech energy these days, and a lot of talented people are doing amazing things. But you don’t have to live in North Georgia or the Southeastern United States to take advantage of all the hub has to offer. Heck, you could live in Silicon Valley and still reach out. Intuitio Labs is ready to work our digital magic no matter where you happen to be. 
To learn more about our digital design and development process, visit us at www.intuitiolabs.com.