Driven in large part by a surge in financial tech, education tech and health tech startups, Atlanta clinched the “most improved” city designation on this year’s ITM report, rocketing up more than 15 places since last year’s analysis. Georgia’s capital city, home to The Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech and Microsoft Technology Center, dramatically improved in its rankings mainly due to strong performances in the areas of startup connectivity and culture. Unlike most markets, where connectivity was on the decline over the last year, Atlanta, increasingly known in local techie circles as “Silicon Peach,” saw a 33.3 percent improvement in corporate-to-small-business connections, as well as an 11.5 percent improvement in connections with startup advisors and mentors.