Cox Enterprises is teaming with a nationally recognized boot camp for entrepreneurs to launch Techstars Atlanta.

The business accelerator, located in Ponce City Market, begins taking applications today through March 20 at http://www.techstars.com/programs/atlanta-program/.

Techstars, a for-profit venture, began in Boulder, Colo., in 2007. It has since started programs in New York, London, Boston, Austin and other cities. Start-up teams are selected to go through a three-month accelerator program under the tutelage of mentors.

In exchange for a small stake in the chosen ventures, the Techstars programs provide the entrepreneurial teams with intensive coaching, office space, funding, and a chance to pitch their ideas to an audience of would-be investors. Techstars and Cox say 75 percent of participants get follow-on funding and/or become profitable soon after completing the program.

Techstars Atlanta will choose 10 startups for its initial class, with a focus on ventures having to do with technological connections between people and businesses, such as social media, cloud-based data, predictive analytics and cyber security.

“As a technology company, Cox Enterprises is committed to driving and inspiring innovation,” said Alex Taylor, executive vice president at Cox Enterprises, which owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Techstars is a fantastic program,” said Taylor. “The mentorships help accelerate startups, while also injecting a strong dose of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit into the community.”

He said Cox Enterprises has launched a number of start-ups that have grown into big businesses, including Cox-owned Autotrader.

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres