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	Chapel Hill’s Fizz Studio Makes Data Visualization Accessible to the Blind Posted Today tl;dr Doug Schepers, who used to help set web standards, started a company called Fizz Studio to make charts and graphs understandable for blind people, since simply listing every data point on a chart isn't very helpful. His product, ParaCharts, uses computer programs to spot important trends in charts and turn them into clear, consistent written descriptions, sounds, or spoken words, all without sending any data over the internet. Schepers believes these accessibility tools—like ramps that help strollers as well as wheelchairs—end up making charts clearer and easier for everyone to understand, not just people with disabilities.
	Startups From the Southeast (and Beyond) Converge in Winston-Salem Posted Yesterday tl;dr Last week, Winston-Salem hosted the 10th ConvergeSouth conference, where over 150 startups from North Carolina and beyond gathered to pitch their ideas and show off their work in fields like health, food, and technology. Instead of following a strict schedule, the two-day event let attendees explore speakers and startup booths based on their own interests, making each person's experience unique. A pitch competition ran throughout the conference, with Chonex, a company that uses insects to improve soil for farmers, winning the grand prize of a chance to compete for $1 million in funding.
	Monday Mix: LiLa, Strength in Numbers, Test Flight Pitch Practice, and Much More! Posted Yesterday tl;dr This week's Monday Mix highlights several business and entrepreneurship events happening across the Raleigh-Durham area. Throughout the week, there are pitch practice sessions, a talk by author Jess Ekstrom, an investing event featuring a local founder, and a rebrand celebration at Davidson. Additionally, students interested in UNC Wilmington's THRIVE Lab program need to submit their applications by Friday at 5pm.
	Friday Fix: Koolbridge Energy, Path Intelligence, The Download, and More! Posted Friday tl;dr GrepBeat.com shares news about startups and technology, and each week David Schwartz creates a "Friday Fix" to help readers catch up on stories they might have missed. This week's recap included features on Koolbridge Energy, an award-winning company, and Readalot.ai, along with an update from Path Intelligence founder Nate Robert-Eze and a new "Download" episode with Brooks Malone and guest Erkang Zheng. Readers can listen to the full recap and subscribe to The GrepBeat Podcast to stay updated on tech news in their area.
	The Download: Erkang Zheng, Founder and CEO, Ariso Posted Thursday tl;dr Erkang Zheng is a tech entrepreneur who previously built a successful cybersecurity company and is now leading Ariso, a startup that uses AI to help people and organizations manage information and work more efficiently. He believes that as AI takes over routine production tasks, everyone increasingly becomes a "manager" who must organize, track, and make sense of everything being produced—a theme he explores in his upcoming book, "Everyone Is a Manager Now." Beyond his company, Erkang stays busy mentoring students, serving on university advisory boards, and splitting his time between Raleigh and Austin while enjoying local coffee shops and restaurants.
	Charlotte Student’s Readalot.ai Generates Stories to Enhance Reading Lessons Posted Wednesday tl;dr Sofia Norenko, a middle school student in Charlotte, created Readalot.ai, an AI-powered platform that lets kids ages 3-12 create their own personalized stories where they can be the main character in adventures like exploring space or discovering magical forests. The platform combines fun storytelling with educational content, including reading comprehension questions, to help kids improve their literacy skills at their own pace while staying entertained. Readalot.ai has already partnered with a local middle school and received a $17,100 grant to help grow the business, with plans to expand into more schools in the future.
	Path’s Nate Robert-Eze on Winning Invest Fest, Playing Four Instruments, and Wrapping a $2.3M Seed Round Posted August 25, 2026 tl;dr Path Intelligence is a startup led by founder Nate Robert-Eze that created an AI "sales agent" for real estate — instead of just showing buyers virtual tours of homes, this AI actually talks with them in over 42 languages, answering their questions any time of day. The company has grown a lot since last summer, winning a big pitch competition in Atlanta that earned them $125,000, receiving grants and recognition, and working with major real estate companies like Ritz-Carlton Residences and Hines. Robert-Eze shared that his biggest lesson was learning to explain his product simply (saying "we sell homes faster" instead of using fancy tech language), and he hopes his AI can someday help everyday people get honest answers about buying homes, not just wealthy luxury buyers.
	How Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year Koolbridge Energy Facilitates a Sustainable Future Posted August 24, 2026 tl;dr A Wilmington, North Carolina company called Koolbridge Energy has invented a smart breaker box called the Smart Load Center (SLC) that can manage electricity from multiple sources, like solar panels, batteries, generators, and the regular power grid, instead of just one like old-fashioned breaker boxes. This device automatically chooses the cheapest and most efficient energy source for a home’s needs, helps lower electric bills, and can prioritize which appliances get power first during an outage. Founded by inventor Dr. Paul Dent and now led by CEO Bill Griffin, the company recently won the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year award and hopes to grow this North Carolina-based innovation into a major player in the future of home energy.
	Monday Mix: NC IDEA Deadlines, ConvergeSouth, The Seed List, NEW’s AI Roundtable, and More! Posted August 24, 2026 tl;dr This week’s newsletter highlights several important deadlines and events for entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts. On Monday and Tuesday, key grant and program applications from NC IDEA are due, while Tuesday evening features a Student Showcase from The SEED List’s Emerging Leaders program. Later in the week, there are networking opportunities focused on climate tech and AI, plus a two-day conference in Winston-Salem where the GrepBeat team will be attending.
	Friday Fix: Giving Week, RCOAST, XTND, and Much More! Posted August 21, 2026 tl;dr GrepBeat.com shares news about startups and technology, and every Friday, David Schwartz gives a quick recap called the Friday Fix to help people catch up on the week's stories. This week's recap included a thank-you for their Week of Giving donations, along with features on companies like RCOAST, Milk Diary, and XTND, plus highlights from NC State's Andrews Launch Accelerator Demo Day. You can listen to the full podcast episode and subscribe to stay updated on future tech news in your area.

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