Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Greenville, SC:

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (GIUMSC) is charging into the future of workforce development with the grand opening of the new Clean Tech Accelerator Lab – the only lab of its kind in South Carolina.

This brand-new, state-of-the-art training hub will serve as a launch pad for high-paying, high-growth careers in the booming clean energy economy, providing hands-on learning in solar and storage systems, heat pump installation, and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) technology.

“This is more than a training center,” said Monique McDaniels, GIUMSC Vice President of Community and Workforce Development. “It is an opportunity engine – empowering people, diversifying the workforce, and driving South Carolina’s clean energy economy forward.”

The accelerator’s new more than 1,000-square-foot Clean Tech Lab is designed for immersive, hands-on training. The lab simulates real-world installation and diagnostic environments, ensuring graduates are job-ready from day one. It was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, Accenture, GM, GRID Alternatives, Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants, and the Climate & Community Lab.

From Covington, LA:

STartUP Northshore has announced THE LAUNCHPAD, a brand-new series of live pitch competitions spotlighting early stage founders from across the Northshore.

Building on the success of STartUP Northshore’s premiere pitch competition, the NSpire Startup Slam, THE LAUNCHPAD introduces a high-visibility, mini-pitch format designed to fuel early-stage ventures. While NSpire provides one of the largest growth capital prize packages in the Gulf South, THE LAUNCHPAD offers entrepreneurs a platform and the start-up resources to get their ideas off the ground.

THE LAUNCHPAD will make its debut on August 6 at a co-hosted event with Gulf South Angels, combining investor insight, community energy, and start-up storytelling into one dynamic evening. In
addition to the pitch competition, the event will feature a presentation by Gulf South Angels focusing on what investors seek in early stage start-ups and how founders can position themselves for success.

From Springdale, AR:

Tyson Foods selected six start-ups for potential funding from its venture capital arm, Tyson Ventures, which has invested more than $100 million in protein technologies, food safety, worker safety, and sustainable food production since 2016.

This year’s event held earlier this month in Springdale focused on artificial intelligence-related innovations. The meat giant said 11 companies pitched their technology innovation at the Demo Day event. Tyson said the participating companies represented seven U.S. states and four countries.

Tyson Demo Day encourages innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply with breakthrough solutions that can help Tyson Foods foster sustainable practices, enhance transparency, create new efficiencies, and ensure the highest standards of quality across the unique protein supply chain.

From Raleigh, NC:

Raleigh Founded, a co-working and office space built for business owners to start and grow their companies, has announced that it is closing one of its five locations.

The organization’s Gateway Plaza location will close in November, as the space is taken over by Levitate, created by Jesse Lipson, ironically, a Co-Founder of Raleigh Founded.

That company has grown rapidly – from 20 employees to 250 – since Gateway Plaza opened six years ago.

Raleigh Founded has three locations in Raleigh and a fourth in Cary.

From the State of North Carolina:

In a newly released report, the Climate-Responsive Opportunities in Plant Science (CROPS) project outlines a plan to connect farmers — particularly those with small, mid-sized, and specialty crop operations — with cutting-edge technologies and researchers to boost productivity, sustainability, and the regional economy in the State of North Carolina.

The report, authored by RTI International, was developed through the CROPS project, a statewide partnership led by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The initiative brings together a network of institutions, including East Carolina University, Duke University, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RTI International, and Wake Forest University.

The coalition’s findings identify five key opportunities to strengthen the state’s agricultural technology (agtech) ecosystem:

1. Accelerating the adoption of research-backed tools on farms;
2. Speeding up the development of useful innovations;
3. Using technology to access better markets;
4. Improving communication and coordination within the ag community; and
5. Building a skilled workforce ready to support modern agriculture.

From Atlanta, GA:

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is now accepting applications for its next cohort—a nine-month accelerator program powered by the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta.

According to a post on the organization’s website, “This is your chance to access mentorship, funding opportunities, a dedicated workspace in the historic Flatiron Building, and a powerful community of founders just like you.”

WEI is searching for female-founded/led companies in the following two classifications:

1. High Growth Enterprises – Entities capable of creating jobs in areas such as tech (Software-as-a-Service, artificial intelligence, edtech, fintech), digital marketing, Consumer Packaged Goods, and advanced manufacturing.
2. Social Impact Scalable Enterprises – For-profit, for-good entities focused on areas such as food systems, early childhood education, home repair, elder care, green energy, and logistics.

To qualify for the program, businesses must:

1. Be an Atlanta-based female entrepreneur (active state business registration and City of Atlanta Business License at time of application);
2. Be in business a minimum of 12 months and generating at least $50,000 in revenue; and
3. Committed to building a scalable ventures and creating quality jobs ($40,000+ wages with benefits).

WEI’s minimal expectation is that those selected will hit $1 million in revenue and create 10 jobs within three years of graduation from this program.

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