Augusta Startup Ecosystem

Link to DOC: https://docs.google.com/a/rice.edu/document/d/15EtmjxWLLta4SZEW4PlsqxXgA-yEuuZ3OE1Ciin2yHA/edit?usp=sharing

McNair Project

Augusta Startup Ecosystem
Project Information
Project Title
Owner	Ben Baldazo, Dylan Dickens, Joe Reilly, Taylor Jacobe
Start Date	9/20/2017
Deadline	10/6/2017
Primary Billing
Notes	End product is slide deck
Has project status	Active
Copyright © 2016 edegan.com. All Rights Reserved.

Augusta, Georgia- Want to build a startup ecosystem around the headquarters

• University of Augusta is in the local area
• US CyberCommand is going to locate their headquarters there, and in response, they want to ensure an ecosystem exists there to pull from
  • Needs recruits, programmers
• Want to build a startup ecosystem around the headquarters
• Find all of the important inno people in Georgia
  • How can we piece an ecosystem together?

Tasks for Joe Reilly and Dylan Dickens on September 26

1. MOVE THIS ZIP CODE INFO TO NEW SECTION ON WIKI PAGEDetermine which zip codes are associated with Augusta, Augusta University & Cyber command facility.
   • Augusta: http://zipcode.org/city/GA/AUGUSTA
   • Augusta U (zip: 30912) website: http://www.augusta.edu/
   • Fort Gordon (houses the cyber command) Zip: 30905 | Website: http://www.gordon.army.mil/
2. Used Compustat to pull data on publicly traded firms in Augusta, Atlanta and Georgia.
   • See "Firms on..." in E:\McNair\Projects\Publicly Traded Firms Data. It's currently filtered by Georgia.
3. Data on Accelerators for Augusta, Atlanta and Georgia:
   • Atlanta Accelerators:
   1. • From Accelerator_Data in E:\McNair\Projects\Accelerators\Fall 2017 : ATDC, Atlanta Ventures, CyberLaunch, NeuroLaunch, Points of Light Accelerator.
      • From http://www.acceleratorinfo.com/georgia.html: Startup Runway, ​TechStars Atlanta, Village Capital - HUB Grant Park, Georgia Tech - Flashpoint, Georgia Tech - VentureLab (Tech Transfer). This second list was not checked thoroughly yet.
4. Get data on all VC-backed firms in Augusta, Atlanta, and Georgia.
5. What data on cybersecurity startups is available from VenturExpert.
6. See Anne for further assignments.

List of publicly traded firms in Georgia

• A excel file list of publicly traded firms, pulled from https://wrds-web.wharton.upenn.edu/wrds/ds/compm/funda/index.cfm?navId=84, can be found in E:\McNair\Projects\Innovation Districts\Augusta Startup Ecosystem. It's called "Firms on...". The list files also appear in E:\McNair\Projects\Publicly Traded Firms Data.

Documentation

E Drive Folder:

"E:\McNair\Projects\Innovation Districts\Augusta Startup Ecosystem"

Z Drive Folder:

"Z:\Innovation Districts"

• Code document: augusta.sql
• table notes: augustaSQL_notes.txt

Database:

augusta

Tentative Schedule

THIS NEEDS TO BE REVISED TO REFLECT NEW SHORTER TIME FRAME. The end product is slides not a paper. Week 1: Prep and understand need; research Augusta and what it already has

Week 2: Analyze data on Augusta and Georgia as a whole. Diagnose need. Begin writing final document's section about current state of Augusta

Week 3: Identify ways to fill need. Strategies for drawing in startup ecosystem. Begin writing final document's section about possible solutions

Week 4: Synthesize data and research to form coherent suggestions

Week 5: Final analysis of data. Finish paper.

Anticipated Paper Breakdown

1. Needs/Wants for an Startup Ecosystem
   1. Economic Factors
   2. Social Factors
   3. Environmental Factors
   4. Government aid
2. Diagnosis of Augusta’s Current State
   1. How does it fulfill and not fulfill the requirements of an innovation district?
   2. What resources are available in Georgia as a whole that can be used in Augusta?
3. Recommendations for how to achieve a Startup Ecosystem in Augusta
   1. What do we need in order to make a successful startup ecosystem in Augusta? (What is missing?)
   2. What would it look like?
   3. How do we make it happen?
      1. Specific suggestions

Zip Codes

• 30901
• 30903
• 30907
• 30909
• 30999
• 30904
• 30905
• 30906
• 30912
• 30914
• 30916
• 30917
• 30919

Georgia Accelerator Programs

1. 1. • From Accelerator Data in E:\McNair\Projects\Accelerators\Summer 2017\Veeral : ATDC, Atlanta Ventures, CyberLaunch, NeuroLaunch, Points of Light Accelerator.
      • From http://www.acceleratorinfo.com/georgia.html: Startup Runway, ​TechStars Atlanta, Village Capital - HUB Grant Park, Georgia Tech - Flashpoint, Georgia Tech - VentureLab (Tech Transfer).

Resources Needed

Elements of a Startup Ecosystem Technical Skills

• Education rates of local population
• Research on University of Augusta
• How to attract human capital?

Risk Tolerance

• Local Economic Stability
• City's Risk Preparedness

Availability of Capital

• VC, Equity

Visible Successes

• What has already happened there? How can we market the city to best attract human capital and create a city brand?

Collaborative Culture

• Proximity between innovators
• Transportation availability
• Accessibility to travelers

Regulatory Environment

• Potential for tax credits, types of incentives local government can offer

Experienced Mentors

• Who is already there who can act as a mentor?
• Who can we attract there to act as a mentor?
  • Patent and R&D data for the area

Entrepreneurial Culture

• What creates a strong entrepreneurial culture and how can we bring that to Augusta?