Sam Altman describes Y Combinator and Google’s new parent company, Alphabet, as meta companies in an earlier TechCrunch video. Specifically, he says:
A meta company [is] one organizing platform where other independent, but collaborative, companies exist. If I had to guess what companies have the most impact on the world [it’s] some version of that.
Under that definition, the Atlanta Tech Village is a meta company. While there’s no equity relationship with the Village startups, there are a number of meta company components:
- Collaboration – The biggest internal benefit of the Village is the collaboration between Villagers. As an entrepreneur, being around other like-minded entrepreneurs is huge advantage.
- Recruiting – The biggest external benefit of the Village is recruiting great people. Talented people want to work in the Village and actively seek out Village startups.
- Shared Culture – With a focus on four core values — be nice, dream big, pay it forward, and work hard/play hard — the Village startups have culture commonality.
- Shared Physical Infrastructure – Great workspaces, game rooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, rooftop patio, coffee shop, etc. are all shared by the Villagers.
The Atlanta Tech Village is a meta company that’s working hard to increase the chance of entrepreneurial success and helping launch hundreds of new companies.
What else? What are some more thoughts on the idea that the Atlanta Tech Village is a meta company?
David Cummings on Startups 
Hate to disagree but you are a real estate company servicing startups and other service providers. If you were a mets company you would divest of non performing vs paying assets. The role you play is valuable but more so in the role of a community funnel not meta company.
1. The concept and label of meta company is accurate for ATV. There is more cohesive energy, collaboration and subsidiziation by the community for the community at ATV than a simple office space. Meta companies have connectivity between them.
2. I’ll add to the requirements list – mentoring and advisory – at ATV to support, strengthen, connect and bring clarity for entrepreneurs in the ecosystem. Both YC, and alphabet have this trait in common.
Having helped build ITC Holding Company, I think we had one of the first “meta companies” in the south, Of course the original ITC was in telecom and internet in the 1990’s. But holding companies are really nothing new….and that is just what a true “meta company” is. An earlier version of this concept was called “conglomerate” in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Remember Fuqua Industries based right here in Atlanta? Google did nothing but create a holding company and a big deal was made of it. ho hum…
I agree with Anand on what I believe ATV is based on all I know, but it really does not rise to the level of a holding company because it has no equity interest in the participants.