StartUp Madness
StartUp Madness gives five lucky Triangle entrepreneurs the opportunity to “sell” their new ventures on the stage at American Tobacco. Entrepreneurs meet investors, investors see the big ideas, and the business community joins in. The event is as much about networking as anything else and features food, fun and live music. This spirited competition promotes entrepreneurship in the Triangle region.
NC IDEA
NC IDEA provides grants to North Carolina high-tech start-up companies, bridging the funding gap between government and private equity support. The organization works with innovative companies in the fields of: Information Technology, Medical Diagnostics and Devices, Material Sciences, and Green Technologies.
NC IDEA encourages grant winners to work with its team and extensive network to connect to those that can help them succeed. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000. Since the program began in 2006, the organization has offered 62 grants totaling more than $2.3 million. NC IDEA hosts office hours for entrepreneurs every Friday, as well as information sessions about the grant program.
Invent Now Collegiate Inventors Competition
For the past 21 years, the Collegiate Inventors Competition has recognized and honored student inventors whose innovations could one day make significant contributions to society. More than $75,000 is awarded to winning undergraduate and graduate students and their advisors. All inventions submitted must be the original idea and work product of the student or student team with his or her faculty advisor.
Southeast Bio / Plan Competition
The BIO / Plan Competition helps foster the creation of venture-attractive life science companies and the development of exceptional life science corporate partnering opportunities in the Southeastern U.S. Working closely with tech transfer offices and entrepreneurs, the competition seeks out and pulls forward opportunities from the region’s research universities, research centers and existing entrepreneurs.