Annual event uplifts metro Atlanta companies in global business development.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: [email protected]
ATLANTA (Nov. 20, 2025) –Three winners of the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge (Atlanta MEC) pitch competition were awarded grants at an event hosted by the Metro Atlanta Chamber Wednesday evening. This year-long program assists local companies in their global business development efforts. The 2025 winners of the Atlanta MEC include:
Each winning company was also awarded a flight voucher courtesy of Delta Air Lines.
“It’s initiatives like the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge that lay the groundwork for regional success,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president & CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We’re excited to bring together targeted resources from regional partners to support growing companies ready to expand into global markets.”
Companies participating in the program receive a $5,000 reimbursement grant used for expenses related to their international business growth. They also benefit from a tailored mentorship and counseling program to assist in the development of global sales plans and go-to-market strategies, as well as flight vouchers from Delta Air Lines. Minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses make up 38% of grant recipients.
The Atlanta Metro Export Challenge started in 2016 with a single grant from JPMorgan Chase and has grown into a region-wide collaborative effort to encourage export growth. Since its implementation, the program has supported 149 metro Atlanta copmanies with $920,000 in financial support and counseling.
Exporting companies grow faster, pay their employees more and file more patents than their non-exporting counterparts. American exporters also benefit from a widely held perception of quality of U.S. products, as well as advantages of scale and diversification.
The event marked the conclusion of the year-long program and the kickoff to the 2025 season. Applications for the 2026 cohort are open now through January 17, 2026, and are available at metroatlantachamber.com/metro-export-challenge.
The judges for the 2025 Metro Export Challenge pitch competition include:
Companies pitching:
The 2025 Atlanta MEC cohort was made possible by funding from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs, Invest Atlanta, Partnership Gwinnett, Select Cobb, Select Fulton, and NRW Global Business, in addition to funds generated by Certificate of Origin (COO) processing fees by the Metro Atlanta Chamber. All proceeds from COO sales are reinvested in MAC’s export initiatives, principally the MEC, fueling growth of the region’s next generation of exporters.
Photos of the pitch day event are available for download: metroatlantachamber.pixieset.com/2025metroexportchallenge
Applications for the 2026 MEC cohort are now open through January 17, 2026.
Learn more at: metroatlantachamber.com/metro-export-challenge
###
About the Metro Atlanta Chamber
The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) serves as a catalyst for a more prosperous and vibrant region. We work to advance economic growth and improve metro Atlanta’s quality of life across the 29-county metro Atlanta region. Our charge is to unleash Atlanta’s ambition, and we do this by growing, advocating, and promoting the region’s economy, talent and community. MAC expands the region’s thriving economy, advocates for a competitive business climate, and elevates metro Atlanta’s story on a global scale to ensure that this continues to be a region that rises as one. For more information, visit www.MetroAtlantaChamber.com.
