Alpharetta renewed its annual agreement with Tech Alpharetta to grow the technology and innovation industry in the city. During a Monday meeting, City Council approved $100,000 in funding to the nonprofit.
Funds were paid by the Alpharetta Development Authority.
Tech Alpharetta, formerly named the Alpharetta Tech Commission, was started by the city in 2012 as an advisory organization of local technology leaders.
It’s now an incubator for innovation and promotes job growth and start-ups for existing technology companies, CEO Karen Cashion said.
In a presentation to Council members, Cashion said the companies that the nonprofit supports have raised $100 million in investor funding since 2015.
Adwait Joshi, CEO of DataSeers software company said, Monday, that Tech Alpharetta helped his self-funded business with connections in the industry and coaching. DataSeers is a financial technology firm that solves fraud issues related to money laundering, Joshi said. Fraud has increased greatly during the coronavirus pandemic, he said, and grown DataSeers' business.
Joshi said most of the 16 employees at DataSeers moved to Alpharetta and he plans to add at least 35 jobs in the next six to nine months.
Cashion, an attorney who practiced commercial litigation, started a nonprofit called the Greater Alpharetta Tech Network in 2013 to bring tech leadership events to the city. She later joined the board of Alpharetta Tech Commission before it was rebranded to Tech Alpharetta.
Mayor Jim Gilvin said to Cashion, “In this difficult environment of 2020, we really appreciate you being out there and keeping Alpharetta in front of the tech community.”
