^{Friends of HatchBridge,}  

Happy October!

Our grand opening is this month. On October 16th, we will gather from 5 to 7 pm to share some food and drinks together and officially welcome the new HatchBridge location to the startup ecosystem. It will be a great time, and we'd love to have you. Please RSVP ASAP so we have enough food.

We’re kicking off a Venture Creation course in partnership with Startup Cherokee this month as well as launching a rebrand of our onramp to commercialization programs for faculty members. October is going to be great and continue to build on the momentum that September brought. I won’t go into detail on the behind-the-scenes infrastructure work, but we’re working hard to build programs and structure and resources that support more scale. Our team shares a desire to build something that is truly world-class in HatchBridge.

See you on Oct 16!

Colin Ake
^{Director of Incubation and Commercialization
HatchBridge Incubator}

When Less Money Creates More Opportunity  

Introducing HatchBridge BuildIt! 

The venture capital numbers tell a sobering story. Q4 2024 saw tech investment drop from $9.4 billion to $5.6 billion quarter-over-quarter, with 2024 closing at just $76.1 billion raised, the lowest since 2019. Early-stage funding fell over 40% year-over-year. 

Yet here's the counterintuitive reality: while venture dollars have contracted, the barriers to launching a tech business have collapsed to historic lows. 

The Great Decoupling 

We're witnessing an unprecedented decoupling between traditional startup funding and startup viability. Companies can now cut development costs by 70% with low-code platforms, making app development 90% faster. The no-code market is exploding from $4.9 billion in 2024 to a projected $24.8 billion by 2029. 

Tools like BuildFire AI generate complete mobile apps automatically, while Bolt enables "chat-first development" where you describe your app in plain English. Buzzy translates Figma designs into production-ready applications in minutes. What once required dedicated development teams can now be accomplished by single operators. 

The same revolution is happening in customer acquisition. Modern growth tools like HubSpot offer AI-driven personalization, while platforms like Zapier automate lead nurturing and CRM integration. Marketing campaigns that once required six-figure budgets can now be orchestrated through interconnected automation tools. 

BuildIt! in Action 

This transformation is why we launched BuildIt! at Hatchbridge. Our program takes entrepreneurs with just an idea and guides them through the modern startup stack to emerge with an almost fully-formed business. Using no-code platforms for rapid prototyping, AI-driven automation for marketing workflows, and growth hacking tools for customer acquisition, participants can validate and build their concepts without traditional funding constraints. 

BuildIt! leverages the same tools transforming the startup landscape. In weeks, not months, entrepreneurs can develop working prototypes, establish automated marketing systems, and create sustainable business models that prioritize efficiency over capital intensity. We continue iterating on the program and offering it to the community as these tools evolve. 

The Hidden Opportunity 

While overall funding decreased, deal volume for tech companies actually increased to 144 deals in Q4 2024. Average deal size dropped from $67.3 million to $38.7 million, but seed funding remains flat with early-stage funding up 10%. This isn't a funding apocalypse. It's a recalibration toward efficiency. 

Gartner projects 70% of new applications will use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025. The irony is stark: as traditional funding becomes scarcer, the cost to build and scale has never been lower. 

The winners won't be those who raise the most capital, but those who build most efficiently. For entrepreneurs embracing these tools, the current funding crunch represents the greatest opportunity in a generation to build capital-efficient, scalable businesses that don't depend on venture capital to survive. 

If you want to talk about what this means for your own path, you can book time with me here:  

Mark Feinberg
^{Entrepreneur In Residence
HatchBridge Incubator}

🍕 Slice & Advice: Mini AI Hack-a-thon

Hosted by Mark Feinberg and Graham Gintz, Build It is an interactive workshop where you’ll discover practical AI tools that spark innovation—and then immediately put them to work in a hands-on “Build It” session. Come for the chance to level up your skills and ideas, stay for the free pizza, candy, and great conversation.

Takeaway: Build a prototype or MVP for a new product with coding tools.

October 10 12:30-3pm | 📍 HatchBridge Incubator (1111 Chastain) | 🍕 Pizza served

Pizza is on us — RSVP now to save your spot!

Celebrate the official launch of the new HatchBridge space! The building is designed to spark innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship, all it’s missing is YOU.

Join us on October 16 for an evening of networking, tours, and a first look at how HatchBridge supports startups and strengthens our community of innovators.

Venture Atlanta is one of the largest venture capital conferences that supports the Southeast’s most promising tech companies and founders. Mark and Graham will be down there Wednesday networking with both founders and investors spreading awareness around the companies in our cohort and recruiting for our spring installation of Chasing Venture. Look for us in our HatchBridge pullovers!

Come hit the trails with us on Friday, October 31th, from 8:45 AM to 10:45 AM.

This costumed up for this gathering, open to everyone in the Atlanta startup ecosystem, is a chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and innovators in a relaxed setting. The hike encourages meaningful conversations while enjoying the outdoors and getting some exercise.

Whether you're looking to exchange ideas or just take in the spooky scenery of Kennesaw Mountain, we’d love to have you join us.

🌿 See you there!

Interested in getting involved at HatchBridge? Follow us on Social Media for the latest events and updates

Contact: Marie Northington, Operations Manager - [email protected]