Inside Engage: Where Startups and Corporations Meet
In Tech Square, startups and Fortune 500 companies work within blocks of each other. But proximity alone does not guarantee collaboration. That gap is where Engage operates.
Founded in 2017, Engage connects high-growth startups with some of the largest corporations in the Southeast. The program sits at the intersection of venture capital, corporate innovation, and university research, bringing together founders, corporate partners, and Georgia Tech expertise to accelerate enterprise technology.
“Engage is really about building connective tissue between startups and corporations,” said Senior Manager Maddie Harper, who helps lead the program. “A lot of founders have great technology, but they don’t necessarily know how to navigate enterprise relationships. We help coach them on how to speak that language.”
Engage operates as both an innovation platform and a venture fund. The program was founded by Tech Square Ventures managing partner Blake Patton alongside leaders from Georgia Tech and major corporations, including Invesco, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, UPS, and Chick-fil-A. Today, those corporate partners remain embedded in the program’s structure.
Each partner company’s CEO sits on the Engage board, reinforcing the program’s focus on enterprise collaboration. The initiative is also affiliated with Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute and works closely with the university’s faculty and research community.
The result is a model designed to help startups break into one of the most difficult markets to access: large enterprises.
The Go-To-Market Program
At the core of the platform is the Engage Go-To-Market program, a 10-week accelerator that runs twice per year. Each cohort includes eight startups selected for their potential to solve challenges faced by large corporations.
During the program, founders receive coaching, introductions, and direct access to corporate leaders across the Engage network.
"We help founders understand how to partner with enterprise,” Harper said. “Enterprise deals don't close because of a good slide deck — they happen because two organizations built enough trust to take a risk together. Most accelerators focus on the pitch. We focus on the relationship. Those ten weeks are about giving founders and corporate leaders the time and space to genuinely get to know each other, explore real problems together, and build the kind of personal connections that turn into long-term partnerships."
The accelerator focuses less on building products and more on helping startups secure real enterprise relationships.
Engage often identifies emerging industry trends first, then finds startups that can address those challenges. Corporate partners participate through working groups that examine specific topics such as logistics, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
Right now, Harper says Engage is watching areas like the shifting roles and technologies for the frontline workforce and agents in the enterprise.
“The way we approach it is by spotting trends early,” she said. “Then we look for startups working in those spaces and bring them to our corporate partners so they can see around corners.”
From Cohorts to Contracts
Since its founding, Engage has supported 122 startups, raised more than $3B in capital, and signed over a hundred customer contracts with corporate partners.
Several companies that passed through Engage have become prominent names in Atlanta’s startup ecosystem.
Skyryse, an aviation technology company that joined the first Engage cohort in 2017, has since grown into a unicorn valued at more than $1 billion. Logistics platform Stord is another notable alumni company that has scaled significantly after its time in the program.
For Tech Square Ventures, which manages the Engage investment fund, the program also serves as a powerful sourcing engine for emerging enterprise technology companies.
For founders, the benefits often extend far beyond the 10-week program.
“The relationships last long after the cohort ends; once a startup enters the Engage network, they stay connected with the corporate partners and executives they meet.”
Built for Tech Square
The program’s success is closely tied to its location in Tech Square, where many of its corporate partners maintain innovation centers and offices.
That density creates a unique environment where startups, corporations, investors, and researchers operate within the same ecosystem.
“The Tech Square ecosystem has been incredibly beneficial for Engage,” Harper said. “Having so many corporate partners, startups, and Georgia Tech resources concentrated in one place makes it much easier to build those connections, and with the Institute’s plans for the Biltmore Innovation Center, things are only getting more exciting.”
Engage’s broader mission aligns with recent announcements from Georgia Tech and city leaders: positioning Atlanta as a hub for enterprise startups.
In a region where many companies struggle to access Fortune 500 customers, Engage offers something rare: a direct line into the boardroom.
Check out the most recent Engage cohort, Cohort 16, here!