Most startups fail because they run out of money or they run out of time. NC IDEA SEED offers companies the critical funding they need to validate and advance ideas or scale faster in order to gain customers and attract further investment. NC IDEA SEED provides grant funding to innovative startups, from ideation to profitability.

Since the inception of NC IDEA in 2006, NC IDEA SEED has awarded over $5.6 million in grant funding to 131 companies throughout the state. Nearly 70 percent of these companies are still operating today; collectively these companies have raised over $220 million in both equity and non-dilutive funding and have generated over 1,000 jobs.