Atlanta Emerging Markets

What Atlanta Emerging Markets does

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI) is a nonprofit Community Development Entity (CDE) and wholly-owned subsidiary of Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta's official economic development agency. Founded in 2006 (originally as Imagine Downtown, Inc., renamed in 2011) and headquartered at 133 Peachtree St. NE, AEMI's mandate is to deploy flexible financing — primarily via federal New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) — into businesses and real estate projects located in low-income census tracts across Atlanta's distressed neighborhoods.

The company's core product is the NMTC Program, under which AEMI receives competitive federal tax credit allocations (cumulative $258 million since 2007 across six Treasury rounds) and resells them to private investors — typically national banks including Wells Fargo, PNC, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and Fifth Third — in exchange for equity capital deployed as 7-year interest-only loans at 1-2% with 20% debt forgiveness at maturity. Layered on top of the NMTC Program, AEMI operates six supplementary funds covering different ticket sizes and use cases: the Atlanta Advantage Loan Fund ($1-3M for medium businesses, partnered with SunTrust and Advantage Capital), Atlanta Catalyst Fund ($50-100K for small businesses), AEMI Leverage Loan Fund ($500K-$3M citywide), Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative ($5-30K startup equity), Civic Impact Loan Fund (0% interest, $5-100K for social entrepreneurs, partnered with Sara Blakely Foundation), and the Atlanta Healthy Food Initiative.

AEMI's business model is governed by a nine-member board appointed by Invest Atlanta, led by President Stephen McRae. The organization runs a staff of 1-10, originates deals directly via website intake and partner referrals, generates revenue through NMTC closing/compliance fees and net interest spread on revolving loan funds, and has closed 18 NMTC transactions plus dozens of smaller loans to beneficiaries including Grady Memorial Hospital ($12M + $8M), Tyler Perry Studios ($7M), Center for Civil and Human Rights ($13M), Porsche North America (Aerotropolis Atlanta), First Step Staffing ($2.8M), and over 20 small businesses and nonprofits citywide. The organization is not a technology company and operates no proprietary software, AI, or platform product.

Name

Atlanta Emerging Markets

Legal name

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc.

Website

https://atlantaemergingmarkets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. is a nonprofit Community Development Entity, wholly-owned by Invest Atlanta, that deploys federal New Markets Tax Credits and tailored loan funds into businesses and real estate projects in Atlanta's distressed census tracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. New Markets Tax Credits Program: AEMI receives federal NMTC allocation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury through competitive application processes. They sell these tax credits to private investors (typically national banks) in exchange for equity capital. This equity is then deployed as low-interest loans to local projects demonstrating strong community impact. The organization also generates fees from NMTC transactions including closing costs and compliance fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI) is a certified Community Development Entity that provides flexible financing—primarily federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) gap financing for projects of $5–$25 million, supplemented by revolving loan funds and equity investments—to businesses, developers, and social entrepreneurs operating in Atlanta's distressed and low-income census tracts. AEMI sells the NMTC allocation it receives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to private investors (typically national banks), then deploys the resulting equity as low-interest loans to qualifying community development projects.

Product overview

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI) is a certified Community Development Entity that operates a portfolio of financing products rather than a unified technology platform. The core offerings include the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Program for large-scale projects ($5M+), supplemented by seven distinct loan and investment funds: Atlanta Advantage Loan Fund ($1M-$3M for medium companies), Atlanta Catalyst Fund ($50K-$100K for small businesses), Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative ($5K-$30K for startups), Atlanta Healthy Food Initiative ($50K for food access), Civic Impact Loan Fund ($5K-$100K at 0% for social entrepreneurs), and AEMI Leverage Loan Fund ($500K-$3M for real estate). These products serve different market segments from startups to large developers, all targeting distressed neighborhoods in Atlanta.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atlanta Advantage Loan Fund: Revolving loan program for medium-sized businesses in census designated low-income neighborhoods, providing $1-$3 million loans for equipment, working capital, training, property acquisition/renovation, and leasehold improvements.
• Atlanta Catalyst Fund
• Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative
• Atlanta Healthy Food Initiative
• Civic Impact Loan Fund

Products and services

• New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Program Federal New Markets Tax Credits financing program providing 7-year interest-only gap loans (1–2% interest) for large-scale real estate and community development projects of $5 million or greater in Atlanta's census-designated low-income neighborhoods, with up to 20% of the loan typically converting to forgivable debt at maturity.
• Atlanta Advantage Loan Fund Revolving loan fund providing $1–$3 million to medium-sized manufacturers, distributors, and service providers in Atlanta's low-income census tracts, offered as senior debt (4–5%, 24–48 months) or subordinate debt (6–8%, 36–60 months) for equipment, working capital, property acquisition, renovation, and leasehold improvements.
• Atlanta Catalyst Fund Revolving loan program that provides $50,000–$100,000 to small businesses in Atlanta's census-designated low-income neighborhoods at 3–5% interest over 3–5 year terms, supporting equipment, working capital, training, and property improvements.
• Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative Mission-driven equity investment program that invests $5,000–$30,000 in startup businesses with high growth potential in the City of Atlanta, particularly those benefiting distressed neighborhoods.
• Atlanta Healthy Food Initiative Community development program providing a $50,000 investment to support the Center for Civic Innovation's Civic Lab accelerator, which funds entrepreneurs implementing business plans to increase access to fresh, healthy foods in distressed Atlanta communities.
• Civic Impact Loan Fund Flexible financing program providing 0% interest loans from $5,000 to $100,000 to social entrepreneurs with early-stage, mission-driven businesses focused on triple bottom line outcomes (social, environmental, and financial) in Atlanta.
• AEMI Leverage Loan Fund Loan program providing $500,000–$3 million in financing for real estate projects and businesses citywide, serving as a complement to AEMI's NMTC allocations and other targeted funds.

Quantifiable outcome

• $258 million in NMTC allocation received since 2007
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Center for Civic InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016AEMI partnered with the Center for Civic Innovation to create the Civic Impact Loan Fund (launched 2016) and support the Healthy Food Initiative. The Center identifies local challenges and social entrepreneurs working on innovative solutions. AEMI provided $50,000 to support the Civic Lab accelerator program.
• Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership for the Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative. WEI is a City of Atlanta program supporting women entrepreneurs and is a catalytic tenant in the Flatiron Building renovation project.
• Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner for the Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative helping support startup businesses with high growth potential in Atlanta's distressed neighborhoods. ACE shares AEMI's mission of increasing access to capital.
• Startup AtlantaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner for the Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative providing connections to the local entrepreneurial community and helping identify high-potential startups in distressed neighborhoods.
• Flatiron BuildingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner in Atlanta Seed Equity Initiative - the historic Flatiron Building serves as an entrepreneurship hub and innovation center with catalytic tenants receiving reduced rents through NMTC gap financing.
• Invest AtlantaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Invest Atlanta is AEMI's parent organization - the city's official economic development agency. AEMI was created by Invest Atlanta to utilize federal NMTC to attract private capital for neighborhood revitalization and job creation projects. Invest Atlanta's Board of Directors appoints all nine members of AEMI's Board.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF): National CDFI providing loans, asset-building programs, and advisory services to nonprofits and social enterprises. Comparable multi-product platform with revolving loan funds and mission-aligned financing, including NMTC deployment.
• Reinvestment Fund: Philadelphia-based CDFI and CDE that deploys NMTC and provides flexible financing for community development projects. Operates a multi-product loan and investment platform similar to AEMI, with comparable size and target borrower base.
• Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): California-based CDFI and CDE providing financing for community development projects serving low-income communities. Operates multi-product lending platform with NMTC deployment targeting health, education, and housing facilities.
• National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC): National CDE focused on historic preservation real estate projects using NMTC financing. Comparable model of administering federal NMTC allocations and deploying gap financing for community-impact projects in distressed areas.
• Capital Impact Partners: Virginia-based nonprofit CDFI and CDE providing loans and NMTC financing for community development projects nationally. Comparable structure combining revolving loan funds with NMTC gap financing for mission-aligned borrowers.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI and CDE providing flexible financing, business advising, and NMTC deployment in distressed areas. Operates a similar multi-product community development financing platform serving underbanked borrowers.
• BlueHub Capital: Boston-area CDFI and CDE providing flexible financing to nonprofits, small businesses, and community developers in distressed neighborhoods. Similar structure combining multiple revolving loan funds with NMTC gap financing.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI with one of the largest NMTC allocation portfolios in the country. LISC operates across multiple states with a similar community development lending model but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth than AEMI.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit CDFI deploying large NMTC allocations alongside affordable housing and community development financing. Operates similar product structure but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP): Atlanta-based nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development finance. Operates in the same geography as AEMI with overlapping borrower base but focuses more on housing rather than the broader commercial/community project spectrum AEMI serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/stephen-mcrae-9a174032

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlanta Emerging Markets