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Jun 20
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ConnexPay Simplifies the Payment Industry

By Member Spotlight, The Park

In 2017, Bob Kaufman left a 20-year career at a top U.S. bank. He aimed to create ConnexPay to simplify the payment industry. As Chief Financial Officer in the bank’s Payments Services division, he saw the frustration travel agencies and online payment intermediaries faced with current systems.

Recognizing a better way to serve these customers, Bob envisioned a platform to handle payments and prevent fraud with one contract, one reconciliation, and one support team. Subsequently, backed by angel investors, Bob and a small team built ConnexPay. In 2018, they joined Atlanta Tech Park. There, they used its connections and coaching to grow. Additionally, the Park provided a custom office solution.

As a result, ConnexPay raised $145 million through Series A, B, and C funding rounds. Following this success, they moved to their headquarters in Alpharetta, GA after graduating from the Park. By 2023, ConnexPay earned spot #704 on the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. Moreover, they were named Travel Innovator of the Year at Phocuswright.

In April 2024, Bob became Chairman of the Board, while Ben Peters succeeded him as CEO. ConnexPay continues to simplify the payment industry. Now, they have offices in Florida and Minnesota. Furthermore, the company keeps innovating, providing seamless solutions for businesses and consumers. Their platform has expanded to support various industries beyond travel, including e-commerce and insurance. ConnexPay’s commitment to security and efficiency sets a new standard in payment processing. Consequently, it has become a trusted partner for many leading companies.

Under Bob’s leadership, ConnexPay grew in size and revenue. Importantly, they maintained a strong focus on customer satisfaction and technological advancement. The company regularly updates its platform with new features and improvements. This ensures it meets the evolving needs of its clients. As ConnexPay continues to expand, it stays dedicated to its mission of simplifying and securing the payment process for businesses worldwide. Learn more about ConnexPay.

Jun 17
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Reibus Celebrates the Holidays

Reibus International – an ATP Success Story

By Member Spotlight, The Park

John Armstrong founded Reibus in 2018 to solve a problem he faced in his corporate career and to create an enjoyable workplace. He and his partner developed a metal exchange platform offering more customization and availability for the construction industry.

At Atlanta Tech Park, Reibus received coaching and advisory services, which helped them manage their budget, financials, pitch, and platform questions. Over the years, they expanded into multiple offices and grew their staff to over 30.

In 2021, Reibus outgrew the Park and moved to a larger space to support their growth. They quickly expanded internationally, opening a European headquarters in Germany and appointing a country director for Canada. That year, their staff grew to over 300, and revenue increased sevenfold compared to 2020. From 2022 to 2023, their North American transaction volume for metal sales and logistics grew by more than 50%.

Reibus is committed to sustainability, having achieved carbon neutrality and pioneered carbon reduction solutions for steel production. Now valued at over $750 million, Reibus is the fastest-growing startup in Atlanta. They have offices in Atlanta, Germany, and Mexico, and in 2022, they acquired the Sweden-based steel and metals trading company Stålgossen. As an alumnus of Atlanta Tech Park, John continues to support the community and participate in events.  Learn more about Reibus.

Nov 17
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Atlanta Tech Park Celebrates 5th Anniversary

By The Park

Atlanta Tech Park celebrated its 5th anniversary this week by recognizing their founding members at their annual Thanksgiving Potluck.  Founded in September, 2017, The Park’s mission has been to help entrepreneurs grow and accelerate.  By offering support, connections, and guidance, they can achieve their business goals.  

Robin Bienfait, Founder and CEO, remarked, “Our entrepreneurs show on a daily basis that courage truly is the currency of innovation.”

Robin brings a strong track record of success to The Park.  Having worked for AT&T, Blackberry, and Samsung, her business expertise helps all of the members.  The entire staff works together to create a strong community.  Members have an opportunity to grow by adding team members, office space, and events when they are ready. 

Located in Peachtree Corners, Atlanta Tech Park is one of the premier coworking spaces in Atlanta.  It is home to over 90 companies from around the world.  The global accelerator boasts 50 private offices available for rent.   Meeting rooms, a podcast room, auditorium, and large event space are also available.  

The modular approach allows for a truly custom experience for all of our members so that they can maximize their budget.  In addition to the space and amenities, they have access to coaching and customized programs to help them grow their business.

As part of The Park’s 5th Anniversary celebration, founding members  were also recognized.  

Five Year Founding members include: 

  • Cornerstone Media Group
  • Field Pros Direct
  • The Ian Thomas Group
  • MYou (Market Yourself)
  • Mighty Rockets
  • Senslytics
  • SiteSeer
  • Southwest Gwinnett Chamber
  • Tandem Bank
  • TechConnectHub
  • Transworld Business Advisors
  • Vallum Software

For more information about Atlanta Tech Park, please visit www.atlantatechpark.com

Dec 08
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Conference Room Rental at The Park

Conference Room Rental at The Park

By Latest News, The Park

Conference Room Rental at Atlanta Tech Park

A recent article by WorkSocial.work, Advantages of Conference room Rental for Small Business, discussed several reasons why renting conference rooms can positively impact your productivity as well as your company’s bottom line.  

By utilizing meeting room rentals, an entrepreneur can keep operating costs low and productivity high because you don’t have to pay to rent space that you don’t use on a daily basis.  In addition, by renting meeting spaces at a facility like Atlanta Tech Park, you can be assured that you are taking advantage of the latest technology.  That is another expense you do not have to worry about.  

Conference Room Rental at The ParkConference Room Technology

With the technology at The Park, you can host both in person and remote meetings.  Our dedicated high-speed internet guarantees the ability to host both virtual and in-person attendees.  You can even host a virtual event!

You can also improve your image by booking a space at The Park.  Membership at The Park allows you to take advantage of the entire facility and gives you the opportunity to put your best foot forward.  You can let your clients know that you take working with them seriously. Employees will also know to take your meeting seriously because they know you have rented the space.

At Atlanta Tech Park, we have 7 conference rooms and an auditorium that can accommodate meetings from 6 – 100 attendees.  Each room boasts the latest technology to make hosting your meeting a breeze.  If you are a member of the park or currently lease office space, you have the ability to rent these rooms at a discounted rate.   

Book your conference rooms and  select the room that fits your needs.  Be confident knowing that no one else has booked your room. In addition, The Park also offers the opportunity to have coffee service and food brought in by your favorite caterer.  You can also select from our preferred list and know that your guests will have a great experience.  

Atlanta Tech Park is a global technology accelerator that offers more than just conference rooms and event space. With one of our membership packages you will get discounted rental rates.  In addition, you have access to advisors and a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs.

Apr 22
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Conference Rooms Avalialbe

Video Calls from a Safe Distance at The Park

By Latest News, The Park

Things at The Park certainly haven’t been the same for a couple of weeks now, but we are optimistic that a return to “normal” will happen sooner rather than later.

We already rescheduled our inaugural Cyber HealthTech Conference from April to July 2020. We also had to cancel our members only Wine Wednesday for March (but rebounded with a virtual one… see below!) along with some of our other programming that’s been a big asset to our community. Fortunately, recaps of some past events are online.

As a hub for entrepreneurs, we know that (small) business owners have to be resilient to succeed. Everyone does. We, too, have to be in order to get through this, and we will. And when it’s over, we’re going to have a killer happy hour to celebrate the good times ahead.

The Park was still open for business even when quarantines and lockdowns started in March. With Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s recent announcement permitting some businesses to open starting April 24 and 27, we will resume “normal” operations at The Park as best we can. Normally, that means dozens of people working diligently in their personalized setup, occasionally chatting over a freshly brewed pot of coffee, and getting in a game of ping-pong whenever they can thanks to Netflix.

Lately, people have been at The Park—but distancing. They’re there because they provide essential services and product such as software, construction metals (great time to do infrastructure upgrades), cybersecurity, technology for medical professionals and first responders, and more. Many people around the world are conducting business via Zoom and other video-calling software lately too.

That being said, we have six meeting rooms at The Park. Every single one of them is big enough for distancing comfortably and equipped with wireless video-calling capabilities and a sound system that makes remote conference calls seamless and professional. All you need to get connected is an Internet connection, which is the motor oil of today’s economy. Cybersecurity is one of Robin’s strongest areas of expertise. It’s something we take seriously at The Park, so rest assured your data, documents, and web activity are secure on our network.

Each conference room area at The Park also has a different name that represents a different element of success. Some also represent places and things that embody our identity as a global accelerator. They are as follows:

Garden City: A nod to Singapore and our commitment to be a global innovation hub, this conference room is where great ideas come to bloom. Used as a green room for comedy shows and performances, continuing education classes, regular team meetings, and more. It seats more than a dozen people, and is equipped with multiple HDMI plugins throughout, so seating can be as comfortable as you need or want it to be.

Oasis Room: A homage to Japan, the Oasis room is the newest addition to The Park’s event space. Originally located in the front end of the building, the Oasis room was moved to the back corner of the building (near the auditorium) to make way for a new office suite. The move seems to have been a hit with the community. It has made our meeting hub more centralized within The Park, and the glass wall adds a modern and sleek touch to the facility that defines us as an accelerator catered to futuristic innovation.

Digital City: Our cluster of conference rooms has a sign over it that reads Digital City. Here, there are a handful of technologically advanced, secure meeting spaces that (when appropriate again) are suitable for small groups of 5-6 people to larger groups of up to 12. Each room in Digital City has a theme associated with it such as “Create,” “Connect,” “Ignite,” etc. that embody the great characteristics of collaboration and innovation.

Right now, members have access to all of the meeting spaces to work privately or take video conference calls as necessary. We hope to see you at The Park soon, whether it’s to bring you a reprieve from being sheltered in your home office or once this all ends. Either way, we will be here.

Mar 28
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HealthTech Innovations Seen in Pandemic Response

By Events, Latest News, The Park

When we decided to host our inaugural Cyber HealthTech Conference and Challenge in April 2020, we had no idea that a global pandemic would rock the core of medical institutions around the world and right here at home. However, things happen, and as people our ability to adapt has enabled us to survive and thrive for centuries. That being said, the scope of our event has changed slightly.

For starters, the conference has been rescheduled to July 2020. The theme is still “Disrupt or Be Disrupted.” That means highlighting ATP alumni companies such as ControlRad, which uses revolutionary technology to reduce radiation exposure to patients and doctors during FGPs, and AffirmHealth, which has helped curbed the opioid dependency through web platforms. Now, the conference also entails discussing all of that in addition to the disruptor that is coronavirus. More specifically, we’ll be talking about innovative ways that medical and technology experts have come up with ways to inform and treat the public during this pandemic. Here are some examples we’ve seen that are worthy of sharing:

The first and most notable use of HealthTech in response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been the reporting and presentation of the data pertaining to the number of cases, locations, and more. The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center tracker is an interactive map updated with new information daily. It shows the number of total confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries in real time. The map can be viewed by cumulative confirmed cases or active cases and provides a breakdown of cases by specific countries and regions. Other features on the map can show you different views, filter for different variants, and show a log of how the virus has grown in its spread over time. While it may be scary to look at, being informed allows healthcare workers and government officials to make better decisions of what actions need to be taken to prevent the pandemic from becoming a larger problem.

Another notable trend in response to the pandemic has been the rise of TeleHealth communications. Although it may seem as if getting tested for COVID-19 has been easier for the ultrarich or megafamous, the emergence of TeleHealth has become one way to make healthcare more accessible for everyone. Defined as using telecommunications to treat and diagnose patients virtually or digitally, TeleHealth enables healthcare workers to physically distance themselves from those showing symptoms of an illness (thus preventing the spread), be more efficient with their time, and also work with patients across state lines, which has been temporarily allowed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Healthcare professionals and the American public are taking to it, too. The State of Georgia has launched a COVID-19 hotline where residents can call (844-442-2681) and be consulted over the phone if they begin to feel symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

TeleHealth is currently free, even for the uninsured. Numbers for TeleHealth usage are drastically up across the board, and as more cases arise, the need for TeleHealth and the supporting infrastructure will become greater. Case in point: The global TeleHealth market is expected to be worth $55.6 billion (USD) by 2025, according to a forecast published by MarketsandMarkets. It is currently worth $25.4 billion, the same report said.

A trend gaining popularity in technology over the last few years has been 3-D printing. Praised for its ability to create sturdy prototypes and products cost effectively, the focus of 3-D printing products has become manufacturing medical supplies to meet anticipated shortages of PPE (personal protective equipment) for medical professionals. High-end medical equipment such as ventilators and test kits are harder to mass produce with short notice, but thanks to 3-D printing (and old-fashioned sewing), serviceable protective facemasks are being made and delivered to local healthcare providers everywhere. In just one example of this, we see how a friend of The Park is doing her part with a 3-D printer:

Unfortunately, despite everyone in the world being in need of reassurance and a helping hand right now, there are cybercriminals who see an opportunity to capitalize on the fears of the coronavirus pandemic as a big payday for themselves.

Per our Cyber HealthTech Conference and Challenge partners Adams and Reese:

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has seen an uptick in cyber scams in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. … If something is considered a medical device, it is also regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has issued broad guidance on the use of wireless technologies and certain mobile medical apps.”

Verify all links, professionals, and devices that you consider. Fast Company reports that a “digital coronavirus infection kit” disguised as the Johns Hopkins University map (referenced above) is actually a Java-based malware designed to steal sensitive information (cryptocurrency, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) and leave devices susceptible to similar attacks. Often, the links are shared as emails with attachments and have “coronavirus” in the subject line, according to Fast Company.

As of this writing, there are 593,291 cases of coronavirus confirmed worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 101,657 of those are in the United States, which has the highest number of confirmed cases in the world. (Some good news: 130,915 people have recovered.) What happens between now (March 27, 2020) and the Cyber HealthTech Conference in July 2020 is extremely crucial for the prosperity of humanity and sustainability of the healthcare industry as we know it. If all goes well, there won’t be many more cases or fatalities to report, and we’ll only have permanent HealthTech disruptions to talk about at the event—in addition to everything else that’s going on at The Park.

Mar 18
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ATL Cyber HealthTech Conference Rescheduled

By Events, Latest News, The Park

Due to the escalating pandemic known as COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), the Cyber HealthTech Conference and Challenge to be held at Atlanta Tech Park in April 2020 has been rescheduled for July 22-23, 2020.

Rescheduling the event is in the best interest of our members and attendees. Doing so also allows us to discuss the global response to the coronavirus pandemic and examine how innovations in TeleHealth and cybersecurity have revolutionized healthcare and become more important than ever before. In other words, there has never been a better time for medical innovation, and we look forward to covering that in full detail this July.

All tickets purchased for the original Cyber HealthTech date in April will be usable for entry into July’s event. Updates and changes to schedules, speakers, topics, and more will be available to the public in due time. For now, we ask that everyone please use as many precautions as possible and necessary, while still maintaining optimism about our event in July. We promise it will be worth the wait.

Please follow Atlanta Tech Park on Twitter (@107ATP) and Instagram (@atlantatechpark) for the latest updates about happenings at The Park.

Dec 04
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Tech Accelerator events at The Park

Atlanta Tech Park to Host Cyber-MedTech Conference

By Events, Latest News, The Park

Building off the success of the ATL Cyber-Fin Global Innovation Challenge, which covered the intersection of the Cyber and FinTech industries, Atlanta Tech Park is excited to host another conference focusing on the MedTech industry.

The ATL Cyber-MedTech Global Innovation Conference & Challenge will take place April 27-29, 2020, at Atlanta Tech Park in Peachtree Corners.

The United States is home to the largest medical device industry in the world, accounting for 40 percent of the global market share in 2017, according to SelectUSA, a subsidiary of the International Trade Administration. Atlanta itself is the fastest-growing life sciences market with pharmaceutical sales expected to grow to $1.2 trillion by 2024.

The Park has been home to two MedTech companies. One of them, ControlRad, recently conducted a clinical use of its radiation reduction technology for fluoroscopically guided procedures (FGP) after receiving FDA clearance in May 2019. Then, in October, ControlRad secured $15 million in Series B financing from Questa Capital.

The second company, AffirmHealth, was one of The Park’s very first members. Its main focus is to ensure healthcare leaders adopt responsible, compliant prescribing practices for patients via technology.

Atlanta Tech Park has assembled a top-notch steering committee to guide the planning and execution of the Cyber-MedTech Conference & Challenge. Steering committee members include: Fred Mindermann of Sertainty, David McCampbell of Sertainty, Benn Konsynski from Emory, Rebecca Rutherfoord from Kennesaw State University, John C. Yates, Andrew Morris from the FinTech Agenda, Cristy McAdams, Saraya from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Ben Dyer, Hossain Shahriar from Kennesaw State University, Ejane Caraway from Georgia Department of Economic Development, Christine Chen from Cox, and DeWayne Addington from Sertainty.

Interested in being a part of the MedTech Conference and Challenge steering committee or programming? Please contact Nashlee Young, Director of Operations at Atlanta Tech Park, directly via email at nashlee@emnovate.com to submit your idea or recommendation. Click here to be taken to the event page.

Oct 25
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Atlanta Tech Park success stories: AffirmHealth

By Latest News, Member Spotlight, The Park

Welcome to our Atlanta Tech Park Success Stories series! This content (blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc.) is a way for us to highlight the members, companies, and more that Atlanta Tech Park a great place to work, network, and even have some fun! The first edition of our Success Stories installment is about AffirmHealth, which was one of the very first companies at Atlanta Tech Park. AffirmHealth uses technology to better facilitate prescriber compliance, which makes the fight against the opioid epidemic significantly more manageable. Our many thanks go to John Cole, AffirmHealth COO and Founder, for taking time out of his schedule to talk about his time at Atlanta Tech Park with us! (Pictured below is John conducting business during the very early days of The Park.)

ATP: Why did you choose Atlanta Tech Park?
John: I met Robin and Nashlee at an Atlanta Technology Angels meeting. This is when they were in their early stages, having just remodeled and not formally launched. We chatted before the meeting, and I had been working from home in Atlanta and was looking for a place to set up shop away from my office at home. From our conversation, I felt really comfortable about a) the space and b) what they were doing and Robin’s vision for Atlanta Tech Park. I jumped on really early and was one of the first members to start going on a daily basis and was really pleased and happy to do so in the beginning stages of what I think is going to be a powerful community for entrepreneurs in Atlanta.

Where were you as a company when you first arrived at ATP?
We launched our company in April of 2016. We were a year-and-a-half to two years in and had bootstrapped heavily until then. There’s a two year process of figuring out what you don’t know and really understanding what it is—specifically in healthcare—what you need to build to be able to scale. We were at that point where we knew what we needed to build and were almost there in terms of product development and pilots. We had a product that worked well with small and independent practices and needed to figure out what the best way to scale that technology was. That’s where we were when we moved into Atlanta Tech Park.

How did your conversations with Robin change your company’s trajectory and impact its growth?
More so than anything, it was a shift in mindset, which is what Robin is so excellent at doing in terms of being able to meet you where you are and provide the insight to take your company to the next level. She has accomplished a lot professionally, so she brings that experience and success to where you are and gets you to think about how to scale your business and also what steps you need to take in order to get there. Her effective communication and ability to deliver a message to an audience is also something I was able to refine and practice myself after several meetings with her.

Can you provide a specific example of something Robin did or said to help you all with that change in mindset?
We had been selling to small and independent practices, with the largest one being 200 doctors or so. When we shifted to enterprise, we thought we were becoming a SaaS product: it will be an iterative rollout based on a new provider (client) per month basis. “Robin painted the picture of what a true enterprise contract is.” … You can deliver something that’s powerful without taking the iterative approach if you display that your technology is powerful enough. The enterprise contract and getting senior leadership excited about the innovation are enough to land the enterprise deal. From a cashflow standpoint, that helps tremendously. It really just takes that mindset shift to think about.

So essentially Robin taught you to think more like a seasoned executive and showed you what she looks for from that position?
That’s exactly right. What’s so incredible (about Robin) is she doesn’t have a whole lot of healthcare experience. Most of it is on the security side, but basically, every other industry has experienced “tech disruption” that has changed them. Healthcare is the only industry where that hasn’t happened (yet). In healthcare, people think the way things have always been done are the way have to continue being done. You almost have to flip that on its end and question if that is always the right way. When you do, people are skeptical, but changing our mindset enabled us to stand up to those challenges and be successful.

The other thing is truly understanding your customer. In healthcare technology it is has often been the case that when building a HealthTech product, the active clinician (or “power user”) is not at the table when building the product, so we have been incredibly intentional to make sure that the user of the product is actually helping to customize the solution alongside with us, and we’re taking their active feedback as we’re building the product. So when you launch the product, for them it’s a matter of “we helped build this product, we know how to use it, let’s go.”
Having an intentional focus on the customer and how they use the product when building the product has been in an invaluable lesson Robin taught us.

In summary…
From the very beginning, it was very clear that Robin was thinking about things differently. She was thinking about building The Park in a way that you would think about building a business in making sure that she was fostering a culture and environment where companies and entrepreneurs can go to thrive. From my entire time there–when they were getting ATP off the ground until when I left [to move back home to Nashville]—it was abundantly clear that was the culture she was creating. When I was there, both Nashlee and Robin were available, and I felt they had both myself and my company’s best interest at heart and were willing to help out in any way they could. For a company or an entrepreneur looking to go somewhere where you really have that sense of community and are surrounded by positive, supportive energy, that is what Atlanta Tech Park epitomizes.

Oct 18
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Sertainty Awards RotoMaire $10K at Global Challenge

By Events, Latest News, The Park

Sertainty Tech recently partnered with Atlanta Tech Park to sponsor the Developers Challenge at the 2019 ATL Cyber-FinTech Global Innovation Challenge in September of this year. The competition’s six finalists competed for an opportunity to win $10,000. Challenge companies included RotoMaire, Cyber Investigations & Intelligence Agency (CI2A), Modern Radio, Vallum Software, Nugo Tech, and American Renaissance Technology (ART).

RotoMaire won the $10,000 grand prize for the best utilization of the Sertainty UXP Technology.

RotoMaire provides a product recall platform solution for retailers and distributors that lets them communicate directly with their customers. By using proprietary, cloud-driven data solutions, automation, and actual human support, RotoMaire mitigates risk and protects consumers from product recalls. As part of the challenge, RotoMaire utilized the Sertainty Workflow Data Protector and Software Developer’s Kit to build security into their platform in order to protect and audit sensitive data.

“At RotoMaire, keeping our customers’ data safe and secure is our first mission,” Jehan Luth, RotoMaire CEO and Founder said. “We are pleased to have won the Global Cyber-FinTech Challenge sponsored by Sertainty Corporation. They have an incredible suite of products that every software developer needs to check out.”

“The best cyber defense is built-in verses bolted on,” Robin Bienfait, Founder of Atlanta Tech Park and Advising Chief Technology Officer for Sertainty, said before the winner was announced. As a result of the Global Innovation Challenge’s success, Sertainty has been able to continue building the Developer Ecosystem.

The event also inspired both Sertainty and Atlanta Tech Park to host another challenge targeting the MedTech industry. The ATL Cyber-MedTech Global Innovation Challenge is scheduled for April 27-29, 2020.

The 2020 ATL Cyber-Fin Global Innovation Challenge will take place September 15-18 at Atlanta Tech Park. Check out the full recap of the 2019 event HERE.