Considering how important proprietary deal flow has become as a tool for differentiation within venture capital, it’s surprising that more VCs aren’t shopping in the South. They simply aren’t looking at the concepts and companies coming out of Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, and other Southern startup hubs. At best, VCs might have a token startup on their roster from outside the Valley, mainly for bragging rights about geographic diversity and risks taken. It hardly counts as truly investing in the region, much less diversifying a portfolio.
