Atlanta’s technology ecosystem is having a moment in the limelight.
The announcement that the city will host Airbnb’s East Coast hub is the latest in a slew of innovation news that shows years of successful growth in the city's tech sector, said Alex Gonzalez, chief innovation officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
Amid the creation of new venture capital firms, startups reaching $1 billion valuations and continued investments into the local education system, Airbnb’s new office is another win for a city still building its technology reputation.
"Having a big brand like Airbnb come here will continue the momentum and help us tell the story that we’re really a true global hub,” Gonzalez said.
The short-term rental giant, which went public in December, plans for the Atlanta office to become the regional base for hundreds of technical and non-technical roles. Its location has not yet been confirmed.
Laphonza Butler, Airbnb’s public policy director, said the company chose Atlanta because of its diversity of talent and support for innovation. The new office will be “authentic to Atlanta,” she said, and leverage partnerships with existing organizations, such as the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Atlanta Public Schools.
Local industry veterans say the Silicon Valley superstar could bring more talent into the city and provide opportunities for collaboration with Atlanta startups.
Tech talent welcome
Airbnb’s announcement comes on the heels of Microsoft confirming that it will create a 90-acre East Coast hub on the Westside, with promises to have a community-driven approach.
Industry experts say those two names mean Atlanta will become even more attractive to talent across the country.
“Having Airbnb here makes it so that there are more tech jobs visible with a prominent employer,” said David Cummings, a serial entrepreneur and investor who founded the Atlanta Tech Village. “It’s a much more recruitable environment for startups.”
Some may come for those names but stay for the tech ecosystem, drawing even more talent to an already-growing sector of Atlanta business.
Butler said Atlanta attracted Airbnb in part because of its creative culture and emphasis on innovation.
"We really wanted to make sure that we chose a city where we felt like our employees would really want to call it their long-term home,” Butler said.
Airbnb also plans to foster the diverse talent coming out of the local education system, hoping to create a pipeline to the technical jobs the company will offer at its new office, Butler said.
‘A vote of confidence’
The new office also allows local startups to form potential partnerships with Airbnb, Cummings said. For example, Rented.com helps vacation rental companies active on Airbnb and other short-term rental sites manage their properties and price their spaces.
Its newfound proximity to an Airbnb office could create an opportunity for Rented.com to form a stronger relationship with the platform on which its customers operate, Cummings said.
Rented.com CEO Andrew McConnell said Airbnb has been active in mergers and acquisitions, which could mean potential exits for local startups. The rental giant also understands the scrappy startup experience, McConnell said, which may make it more open to partnerships with newer companies.
“Anytime you get a very successful and innovative company that puts a vote of confidence in your city, all it can do is benefit all the players,” McConnell said.
Because of Atlanta’s existing spread of Fortune 500 companies, the startup ecosystem has grown the most through providing technology solutions to other companies, said Dave Payne, a serial entrepreneur and managing director of Techstars.
Three recent unicorns — scheduling software Calendly, account management software SalesLoft and cybersecurity firm OneTrust — all work in that business-to-business space.
Airbnb may become another client for these deep technology startups, especially considering the company’s focus on innovation.
But the new kid on the block also has the potential to shake up this business-to-business focus. Payne, who founded and sold a mobile app and the Switchyards co-working space, said Airbnb’s consumer focus could help propel local, consumer-focused tech companies.
“It’s going to be great,” Payne said. “I can’t really think of any downsides to this."
