PRESS RELEASE
Press Contact:
Kelly Killian Voelker
704-769-5537
CED Announces 18 ‘Showcase Companies’
To Be Featured on Main Stage at Tech Venture Conference
As Key Examples of ‘Rise of the Rest’ Phenomenon
DURHAM, NC, Aug. 7, 2014 -- The Council for
Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the largest and oldest entrepreneurial
support organization in the country, today announced 18 “showcase companies” that
will be featured on the main stage at this year’s CED Tech Venture Conference 2014
representing North Carolina’s hottest emerging technology companies.
Showcase companies are given six minutes to tell
their story in front of 600 attendees at a conference that has become a “Who’s
Who” of the nation’s technology industry -- from the most exciting emerging
tech companies to the most influential investors and tech leaders. It will be
held Sept. 16-17 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
“For the last few years, the buzz in the tech world
has been about cities outside Silicon Valley that are leading the next wave of
innovation in the tech sector,” said Jay Bigelow, CED’s director of
entrepreneurship. “This phenomenon has been dubbed the ‘Rise of the Rest.’ This
year’s showcase companies from Raleigh-Durham and across North Carolina are
proof-positive that the ‘Rise of the Rest’ is not just a catchphrase, but a
trend that is gaining incredible force.”
The CED Tech Venture Conference 2014 theme
features companies that are “On the Rise.” In addition to the 18 showcase
companies presenting on stage, more than 50 of the most exciting early-stage companies
have been invited to demonstrate their products and technologies in a Demo Room
at the conference. The conference attracts a broad sweep of representatives
from North Carolina’s top universities, companies from across the state, local
and national venture capital firms, angel investors, corporate and strategic
investors, and entrepreneurial support groups.
“If you’re looking for the one place where you
can see the best of the best of North Carolina’s emerging tech companies – and
the entire network of people who support them -- this is it,” said Joan Siefert
Rose, president of CED. “This conference is unrivaled as a one-stop shop for
getting the full picture of what North Carolina has to offer.”
According to CED’s 2013 Innovators Report, last year nearly 230 entrepreneurial
companies in North Carolina raised in excess of $460 million through equity investments,
grants and awards from 108 unique funders – and 75 percent of these funders
were from other states or other countries. Of the money raised for entrepreneurial
companies in North Carolina, 80 percent was invested in companies right here in
the Triangle (Wake, Durham and Orange counties).
“The
Triangle and cities across North Carolina are on the rise, and the world is
taking notice,” Rose added. “We are becoming a force to be reckoned with.”
The selection committee that chose the showcase
companies was made up of distinguished members of the community, including
active angel investors, local venture capital firms, corporate partners and
staff from CED and the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), a
presenting partner for the conference.
Bigelow said the committee chose the 18 showcase
companies based on meeting some or all of a number of specific criteria,
including being highly disruptive in their industries, demonstrating
significant promise and traction by attracting high-profile customers and
investors, and being led by founders with a compelling personal story and track
record of previous entrepreneurial success.
“This year I was blown away by the number of
high-quality applications we received – both from home-grown companies right
here in our own backyard as well as companies from outside the Triangle who see
this conference as a critical platform for getting their stories told,” Bigelow
said. “This demonstrates once again that the Triangle truly is the heart of the
innovation engine for the entire state.”
The showcase companies represent five sectors that
will be highlighted at this year’s conference: ecommerce and marketing, digital
health, new media, mobile and data, and advanced materials/manufacturing.
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Adzerk (Durham)
AnyCloud, Inc. (Durham)
CrowdTunes (Durham)
EyeScribes, Inc.
(Durham)
FilterEasy.com
(Raleigh)
Guerilla RF
(Greensboro)
inMotionNow, Inc. (Morrisville)
KnowledgeTree, Inc.
(Raleigh)
LIKECHARITY (Raleigh)
nCino, Inc. (Wilmington)
Next Glass (Wilmington)
Royalty Exchange (Raleigh)
Stealz, Inc. (Raleigh)
Tethis, Inc. (Raleigh)
The Produce Box (Raleigh)
Valencell, Inc. (Raleigh)
WedPics
(Raleigh)
Windsor Circle (Durham)
About CED
CED is the network that helps Triangle entrepreneurs build successful companies.
CED website: cednc.org
Conference website: cednc.org/techventure
Media interested in attending the conference or
connecting with showcase or demo companies should contact Kelly Killian Voelker
at Kelly@kellyvoelker.com
or 704-769-5537.
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