DURHAM, NC – SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 – NC IDEA, an organization committed to supporting entrepreneurial business innovation and economic advancement in North Carolina, announced today that the Groundwork Labs Fall 2016 session will begin on November 14. Applications for the session are due on September 26.
Entrepreneurs admitted to the program will join a selective cohort of 5-8 teams, and receive intense mentorship and guidance on customer discovery, building an MVP, and fund raising during a three-month program. From a program standpoint, Groundwork Labs is similar to a technology accelerator, except there is no investment in the company or take an equity stake, and the program is offered at no charge. The program is targeted at entrepreneurs who are experts in their field and have a business idea with the potential to scale, but have a gap that Groundwork can help them fill.
Interested applicants may learn more at www.groundworklabs.com or any of the following information sessions:
- Thursday, September 15, 5 p.m. – Groundwork Labs, Durham, sign up here
- Monday, September 19, 4:30 p.m. (immediately prior to ExitEvent) – HQRaleigh, sign up here
- Wednesday, September 20, 11 a.m. – The Frontier, RTP, sign up here
The NC IDEA team will be available to answer questions at the NC IDEA exhibit table at CED’s Tech Venture on September 13 and 14.
Groundwork applicants who are also interested in applying for an NC IDEA grant may do so using the same application. Applications for both the NC IDEA seed grant and for Groundwork Labs will open on Tuesday, September 5. More information on the grant program is available at ncidea.org
About NC IDEA
NC IDEA is a private foundation committed to supporting business innovation and economic advancement in North Carolina and serves as a catalyst for young, high-growth companies. Today, the organization fulfills this mission through four initiatives. The Ecosystem Partner Grant program funds organizations across the state that execute creative programs to support entrepreneurs. Over the last decade, the Seed Grant program has awarded over $4.5M to 109 high-growth companies. Since 2011, more than 100 companies have participated in the Groundwork Labs startup program. SoarTriangle, a program founded in 2012 to address the proven funding gap for female entrepreneurs, formally became a foundation program in August, 2016. Learn more at ncidea.org.
