Triangle Startup Weekend Launches Entrepreneurs Towards Global Innovation

Triangle Startup Weekend, set for April 13 - 15 at NC State University's Centennial Campus, is a 54-hour weekend event for local entrepreneurs and professionals to collaborate and launch technology startups that change our community and the world. This is the second-annual event, and is brought to the community through a partnership between five local organizations: CED, French/West/Vaughan, North Carolina State University, Triangle Business Law, and Triangle Interactive Marketing Association (TIMA).

More than 200 collaborators are anticipated at the event, and represent software developers, product designers, internet marketing professionals, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs. The event begins with a kick-off event on Friday, April 13, when teams of collaborators will form after an open pitch contest to determine workable, functional ideas for companies. 

Over the course of the weekend, the teams conduct market research, customer and business model development and develop prototypes, or in some cases, functional products. The weekend concludes after prototype demonstrations presented to a panel of startup experts from the venture capital and technology communities.

“Startup Weekend is the only place where you can actually watch innovation take place before your eyes,” said Arik Abel, vice president of digital services at French/West/Vaughan. “This goes beyond starting businesses – it’s about creating new industries and solving big problems.”

Last year’s Triangle Startup Weekend winners are still going strong. Do the Data, an analytics software product for teachers, founded by two teachers at the event just gained their first paying customer. 

YardSprout, an online community for people to learn sustainable food production, was a featured startup at the 2011 Internet Summit in Raleigh. 

Knackeo, a social network where anyone can learn and teach their passions, is on a number of angel investor watch lists. To view video footage from last year’s beginning pitches and prototype demos, visit Triangle Startup Weekend’s YouTube channel.

Tickets cost $80 each and are on sale now. To register, visit: http://triangle.startupweekend.org/tickets/. To learn more about Triangle Startup Weekend, visit: http://triangle.startupweekend.org/