Valor Courageous Conversations: AI Investing in Atlanta

​In 2025, 75% of M&A occurred pre-Series A. In Q4, 232 acquired companies was 60% higher than the total in Q4 2023 - and nearly half of the acquisitions involve pre-seed & seed companies. These are likely acquihires and talent grabs with a dash of product thrown in. But as we can see from the AI/ML engineering races, high-end talent matters more than ever.

​This event, a courageous conversation with Valor founder and managing partner Lisa Calhoun, will help you understand why.

Specifically for those who are actively or considering investing in AI this year, this conversation encompasses the types of AI opportunities you'll find locally and national trends. We cap the total attendance at 25 and previous versions have quickly developed a waitlist.

​Rather than a lecture-style, the format of a Valor Courageous Conversations event is interactive--with facts and trends presented alongside reflective moments for the executives in the room to respond, engage, and go deeper. Each attendee will offer their own insights and introduce their AI experience and investing experience, before sharing an issue they'd like to learn more about through the wisdom of the room.

This Courageous Conversation is most appropriate for leaders who will engage their own experiences, and have backgrounds including:

1) Corporate development and C-suite executives defining AI-related M&A targets
2) Family office executives and wealth managers evaluating global opportunities, and curious about the local region's VC forecast and performance
3) CEOs of AI-augmented technology platforms interested in how the market responds to AI-powered revenue.
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About Lisa Calhoun

​Lisa Calhoun is the Founding Managing Partner of Valor Ventures, one of the South’s most prominent first round lead investors. Named Atlanta Investor of the Year 2024 by Startup Atlanta and recognized by Business Insider as one of the best women seed investors in 2023, Lisa leads Valor’s strategy of backing and leading early investments in AI companies building in the U.S. South. A Kauffman Fellow and frequent national speaker, she brings board-level insight into enterprise AI pricing, adoption, and risk, informed by years of hands-on work with founders and co-investors across the Fortune 1000 and global venture ecosystem.

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