A new online marketplace has been launched to promote B2B partnerships in metro Atlanta.
The platform is part of a collaboration that brings together Now’s B2B payments solutions and Invest Atlanta’s resources as the city’s official economic development authority, the organizations said in a Tuesday (Feb. 14) press release.
“We joined forces with Now to bring our business community closer together through ATLinBusiness Marketplace and increase economic activity as minority businesses represent almost 20% of our business economy and continue to be a faster-growing segment of the economy,” Invest Atlanta President and CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich said in the release.
The ATLinBusiness Marketplace is a private version of Now’s proprietary NowNetwork, an online platform that helps diverse B2B suppliers and service providers connect with large corporations, government entities and other procurement organizations, according to the release.
The marketplace joins Invest Atlanta’s ATLinBusiness digital platform that helps entrepreneurs access information and resources. It will be complemented by Now’s support community moderators and small business-oriented information, the release said.
“ATLinBusiness Marketplace enables any business that sells to other businesses or governments to access more and larger customers effectively and efficiently, and it enables companies and governments that buy goods and services to access local businesses more efficiently and effectively and without risk,” the organizations said in the release.
Atlanta’s role as a business epicenter has increased dramatically in recent years. Among the firms based in the city are more than 70 FinTech and payment companies.
Visa announced Feb. 8 the opening of its new hub in the city after having decided in 2021 to branch out from its traditional headquarters in San Francisco to office sites in other key cities in the United States.
The plans signal a new era in corporate culture and business efficiency, Visa Head of Global Client Services Elizabeth Rector told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an interview.
“With Atlanta, we think it’s really important to put our people, when we can, near big concentrations of business, and put our people close to clients,” Rector said at the time. “That’s in large part why my role is here and why we’re building the office here.”
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