In a moment that drew both applause and surprise, Georgia Tech’s commencement ceremony this week delivered more than just diplomas. The Georgia Tech commencement speaker promises to pay startup incorporation fees for graduating students, turning the traditional send-off into a bold invitation to build, create, and take risks.
Christopher Klaus, a Georgia Tech alumnus and successful tech entrepreneur, told the Class of 2026 that any graduate ready to start a company would not have to worry about the cost of incorporating. His pledge was about far more than paperwork. It was about giving young founders the confidence to take their first real step into entrepreneurship.
“This isn’t just about paying fees,” Klaus explained in a statement. “It’s about showing belief. Every founder needs someone who backs them early, and this is my way of telling graduates that their ideas matter.”
Georgia Tech’s Growing Startup Culture
Klaus’s announcement fits perfectly into Georgia Tech’s long-term push to become one of the nation’s most vibrant startup hubs. Over the past decade, the university has invested heavily in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem around its campus. Developments like Tech Square — filled with offices, labs, housing, and innovation spaces — have transformed parts of Midtown Atlanta into a magnet for tech companies, researchers, and ambitious young founders.
These partnerships have also created a powerful pipeline between Georgia Tech and the business world. Companies collaborate with the university on research, then hire graduates who are already trained to think like innovators. It’s no surprise that Georgia Tech attracted a record number of applications this year, as more students see it not just as a place to earn a degree, but as a place to launch a future.
The Man Behind the Promise
Klaus is no stranger to building from scratch. He currently runs Fusen, a startup he founded in 2022 that helps students connect with mentors, funding, and real-world startup experience. Years earlier, in 2014, he co-founded Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X entrepreneurship program, which has already helped more than 500 student-led companies get off the ground.
During the ceremony, Klaus was also awarded an honorary Ph.D., recognizing both his business success and his dedication to empowering young entrepreneurs.
University Leaders Applaud the Move
Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera praised Klaus for perfectly representing the spirit of the institution. He said Klaus’s career, message, and financial commitment together show what it means to lead with imagination and creativity.
By removing a small but often discouraging barrier to starting a company, Klaus is giving graduates a practical push toward turning ideas into action — something that aligns closely with Georgia Tech’s 140-year tradition of innovation.
Atlanta’s Bigger Tech Vision
The timing of this announcement also fits into a broader push for Atlanta’s future. Mayor Andre Dickens, who is seeking re-election, has been vocal about his goal of making Atlanta one of the top five tech hubs in the United States. A recent report suggested that to reach that goal, the city would need to launch around 2,000 new tech startups every year by 2027.
With initiatives like this, Georgia Tech graduates may play a major role in hitting that target. And thanks to Klaus’s pledge, many of them will now find it easier to take that first leap from student to startup founder.
For the Class of 2026, graduation didn’t just mark the end of college — it may have been the beginning of something much bigger.
