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Most recent newsletters
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$52M for Kevel and Launch/KPMG Demo Day
Posted Yesterday tl;dr This newsletter shares news from North Carolina's startup world, including that Durham company Kevel raised $52 million to grow its retail advertising technology, and that a run-club app called FitVil has a new owner planning a big relaunch on November 1. It also announces upcoming events like a pitch competition on November 12, a "Spring Preview" event on November 18, and ProductCampRTP on November 6, plus the graduation of a new group of startups from the Launch accelerator. Finally, it highlights startup awards and Walmart's new drone delivery service in Charlotte, which uses Wing drones to bring items through the sky. |
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Vulcan + NC Collaboratory and a BotBuilt spinoff
Posted Tuesday tl;dr This newsletter shares news about startups in North Carolina, including Curated Clinical, which uses community input and AI to make medical trials fairer and more inclusive, and Vulcan Elements, which is teaming up with UNC scientists to build stronger magnets. It also reports that a robot home-building company, BotBuilt, shut down but its software lives on in a new company called Benchmark, while OhSnap's MCON game controller was named one of Time's Best Inventions of 2026. Finally, it lists upcoming programs and events for young entrepreneurs, such as startup accelerators, an Idea Test Lab course, and a funny "Bad Idea Pitch Competition" about climate ideas. |
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Rownd’s latest pivot and Anil Chawla’s new startup
Posted October 15, 2026 tl;dr This newsletter from GrepBeat highlights several North Carolina startup stories, including tennis analytics company ShotSpin AI, industrial data startup Phaseshift, and Rownd's surprising pivot from authentication to autonomous drones with military contracts. It also covers community news like Venture135's keynote speaker announcement, the transition of Raleigh/Cary Founded spaces to new ownership under Lotos Ventures, and Durham-based CareYaya making LinkedIn's top startups list. The newsletter wraps up with startup updates, video recaps from a recent "Startups to Watch" event, and a calendar of upcoming local entrepreneurship events. |
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ServiceTrade CEO returns and DebtBook is now Monetary
Posted October 13, 2026 tl;dr North Carolina's tech scene is buzzing, from Raleigh being named a top U.S. city for digital Mahjong growth to local startups like ExpertTheory, Monetary, and ServiceTrade making exciting moves such as using AI, rebranding, or welcoming back a founding CEO. Several NC startups are also heading to Venture Atlanta to showcase their work, while others like Clinware, Argos Biosystems, and Ariso are winning awards and competitions. The newsletter also highlights fun community events, like Pendo's creative training game and student networking nights, showing how the Triangle area continues to grow as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. |
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The Download, Pendo’s video game, and Venture Connect news
Posted October 8, 2026 tl;dr This newsletter from GrepBeat covers exciting happenings in the North Carolina startup and tech scene, including interviews, conferences, and funding news. Highlights include an interview with Allstack's CEO, upcoming events like Raleigh Durham Climate Week and Venture Connect 2027 ticket sales, and news about Durham chipmaker Wolfspeed receiving a major loan from the Department of Defense. The piece also mentions local business expansions, new mentor programs for Charlotte founders, and several networking events happening in the Triangle area this week. |
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A $5.8B acquisition and SAS AI at NCSU
Posted October 6, 2026 tl;dr This GrepBeat newsletter highlights North Carolina's growing startup scene, featuring stories like HurriLab's hurricane data analysis tools, Meridian Performance Systems' shift from golf training tech to commercial real estate applications, and Charlotte-based Passport's finalized acquisition by Arrive. It also covers bigger business news, including the $5.8 billion acquisition of freight company RXO and SAS Institute's new AI research partnership with NC State focused on responsible technology use. The newsletter wraps up with local event listings, data center visuals, and a call for speaker suggestions for the 2027 Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. |
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Relay’s $36M raise and Ocean Innovation
Posted October 1, 2026 tl;dr This North Carolina tech newsletter covers several business updates, including Raleigh company Relay raising $36 million for AI-powered communication devices, RTI International cutting 200 jobs due to federal funding losses, and SAS Institute hiring a new sales chief to boost its AI positioning. It also highlights Charlotte startup Lucid Bots' new drone technology for cleaning tall windows, upcoming events like the Venture135 conference and NC TECH's tech donation drive, and smaller updates from startups raising funds or launching new initiatives. The newsletter closes with a lighthearted note about "Fat Bear Week," comparing a chunky bear's success to the perseverance needed by startup founders. |
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GrepBeat’s 2026 Startups to Watch revealed
Posted September 29, 2026 tl;dr This newsletter covers North Carolina's tech and business scene, highlighting GrepBeat's Startups to Watch event honoring 11 emerging companies, plus news about a wedding VR startup called ReVeil Media that lets couples relive their big day in 360 degrees. It also reports on Charlotte's two entrepreneurship organizations merging, Lenovo's growing sports partnerships boosting brand awareness, and a new data center project in Durham that's just under the size limit set by a recent moratorium. Finally, it shares job growth rankings showing NC cities like Durham, Raleigh, and Wilmington performing well nationally, along with upcoming local tech events to attend. |
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Planes, Drones, and Startups to Watch
Posted September 24, 2026 tl;dr This newsletter from GrepBeat highlights North Carolina's startup scene, featuring the "Startups to Watch" awards event in Durham and spotlighting companies like MicroBioCol (an AI tracking tool for biotech) and Monthly (an AI-powered financial platform for small businesses). It also covers exciting advances in flying taxis by Beta Technologies and drone manufacturing partnerships with Vulcan Elements, plus new climate-focused and social impact events coming to the Raleigh-Durham area. Finally, it wraps up with quick updates on other local startups and a calendar of upcoming events for entrepreneurs to check out. |
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Front Porch’s Founder Pulse survey and SEED semi-finalists
Posted September 22, 2026 tl;dr This newsletter covers exciting news from North Carolina's startup and tech scene, including CashMap's gamified financial education platform, a new founder survey from Front Porch Venture Partners, and 19 semi-finalists chosen for NC IDEA's fall SEED grant program. It also highlights big funding wins like Ramona Optics raising $25 million, Equal Optics relocating from Texas to Wake Forest, and Kathedra naming Lee Jacobs as its new CEO to lead its upholstery automation technology. The update wraps up with upcoming events like Startups to Watch week in Durham and the Ocean Innovation Conference in Wilmington, encouraging readers to attend and support the local tech community. |
