Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Durham, NC:

NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, announced last Thursday that the organization has awarded $160,000 to 16 North Carolina start-ups in its 15^th NC IDEA MICRO grant cycle. Since the inaugural cycle in 2018, NC IDEA MICRO has awarded nearly $2.4 million to 240 young companies across the state.

Through small, project-based grants, NC IDEA MICRO awards $10,000 in funding to young companies looking to validate and advance their idea. In addition to the funding, grant recipients participate in an eight-week customer discovery and product launch program. The MICRO program was piloted in Spring 2018 as the Foundation made a commitment that no less than half of NC IDEA programmatic and funding resources would be in service to under-served communities. Without compromising its established evaluation criteria, the MICRO grant leveraged the proven model and playbook of the Foundation’s long-standing $50,000 SEED grant program. This approach enabled the Foundation to serve more North Carolina startups and significantly increase access to resources, funding, and opportunities for diverse entrepreneurial communities across the state.

“Our newest MICRO grant recipients are a testament to the power of leveraging supporting communities and effectively tapping into local networks,” said Amy Bastian, Vice President of Grants & Programs of NC IDEA. “This cycle underscores the crucial role of our ECOSYSTEM partners and the broader ecosystem in providing the resources and opportunities to help startups thrive. We are proud to now play a pivotal role in the entrepreneurial journey of these 16 start-ups.”

Separately, the NC IDEA Foundation and Provident1898 have partnered with the ECMC Group to launch the “Bold Path Fellowship” in Durham and the Triangle Region. It is a two-year, full-time program that empowers individuals from under-resourced backgrounds who have earned a degree or credential to pursue entrepreneurship as a meaningful next step after postsecondary completion. Through this program, the NC Idea Foundation hopes to support students who are passionate about entrepreneurship to choose the Bold Path.

Fellows receive:

1. $120,000 in non-dilutive grant funding over two years;
2. Educational programming and capacity building;
3. Mentorship; and
4. Technical assistance.

From Columbia, SC:

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce (SC Chamber) and the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) have announced the formation of a new advocacy organization, formally combining entities, resources, and leadership effective January 1, 2026.

The new organization – South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC) – will be one of the largest and most powerful advocacy organizations in the history of South Carolina. Merging the SC Chamber and SCMA will allow the business community across the state to speak with one unified voice, bolster its presence in Columbia, expand its reach across South Carolina, and align its goals.

“Combining SCMA and the SC Chamber offers a unique opportunity to speak with one strong voice for manufacturing and commerce in South Carolina — strengthening advocacy and programming that benefit all of us in the Palmetto State,” said Grant Burns, who will serve as Chair of the new combined organization. He is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AFL, a fiber optics manufacturer, in Duncan.

Burns and SC Chamber Chair Thomas Rhodes led teams from both organizations in the merger discussions.

Sara Hazzard will serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SCMC. Hazzard, well-known to the business community and its leaders throughout South Carolina, has served as President and CEO of SCMA since 2018, and led SCMA government relations from 2004 – 2018.

South Carolina Research Authority’s (SCRA) Board of Trustees has named William “Bill” Kirkland as its Interim President and CEO. He succeeds former President and CEO Bob Quinn, who led the organization until he retired in August of this year.

Kirkland has extensive experience in economic development and in the private sector in South Carolina, as well as nationwide and internationally. He most recently served as Managing Partner at 1818 Consulting Group, a global consulting firm that provides investor relations, government relations, business strategy, channels development, and leadership services.

An accomplished entrepreneur and higher education senior leader, Kirkland also brings a wealth of knowledge, leveraging his extensive business and university experience to drive success, key to SCRA’s support of research universities and innovation and start-up ecosystems. Prior to his current leadership role at 1818 Consulting Group, Kirkland served as the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Engagement at the University of South Carolina.

From Greenville, SC:

The Upstate Business Journal reports that five area nonprofits are taking part in RevUpGVL, the Greater Good Greenville initiative aimed at helping philanthropic organizations develop new funding models. The five are honing their plans ahead of a pitch event that is the culmination of the months-long pilot project.

Launched in June by GGG in partnership with 20 Degrees, a Washington, DC-based consultancy known for helping mission-driven organizations develop earned-revenue strategies, the initiative aims to help nonprofits develop revenue-generating strategies inspired by the for-profit business community.

The five competitively chosen nonprofits in the pilot group —  Loaves & Fishes, Conestee Nature Preserve, TreesUpstate, CommunityWorks and BrotherBox — will be pitching their plans to investors, donors next week. NextGEN, Greenville’s preeminent entrepreneurial and start-up support organization, is coordinating the pitch event and has been working with the RevUpGVL participants on developing their pitch presentations.

From Tampa, FL:

The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that Embarc Collective member companies have produced almost $100 million in direct economic impact annually and have raised more than $600 million in seed, venture, and growth equity backing since the organization launched five years ago, according to the hub’s latest report.

The Tampa start-up hub, which now has roughly 140 member companies, also reported its start-ups have created more than 1,200 mostly Florida-based tech or tech-enabled jobs, with average salaries between $70,000 and $80,000.

But funding gaps in the growing ecosystem still remain. Sixty percent of the $600 million in funding came from investors outside Florida, according to Chief Executive Officer Tim Holcomb.

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