Article by Erin Schilling for Atlanta Inno, March 18, 2021

Startup founders must be flexible if they want their companies to succeed. In 2020, the pandemic made the path toward growth even more difficult as companies grappled with remote work and reduced industry activity.

To survive the historic year, flexibility wasn’t an option. It was a necessity.

Atlanta Inno and Atlanta Business Chronicle are celebrating the early-stage startups that made it through last year’s turmoil and are now set for continued growth.

The 21 Startups to Watch in 2021 are companies at their Series A investment round or earlier that have hit milestones foreshadowing expansion. These companies may have raised venture capital, completed well-known incubator and accelerator programs, invented new technology with a market fit or achieved high revenue growth.

From music and social impact to finances and marketing, these startups are disrupting their industries and innovating solutions that could change the way we live and do business.

About JTEC Energy

Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson’s next big project may be a new way to harness untapped, renewable energy. Johnson says he created a device that can convert any waste heat, such as from solar panels, factories or cars, into energy. JTEC Energy, Johnson’s startup led by President and CEO Michael McQuary, raised a $1.5 million seed round to bring the product out of the lab and start real-world testing. Executives from Southern Co. and General Electric invested in the startup, which shows how it could be a game-changer for clean energy and efficiency, McQuary said.