Spring 2026 MICRO Grant Recipients Selected from Competitive Applicant Pool
DURHAM, NC – April 23, 2026 – NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, announced today that the organization has awarded $150,000 to fifteen North Carolina startups in its sixteenth NC IDEA MICRO grant cycle.
Through small, project-based grants, NC IDEA MICRO awards $10,000 in funding to startups that are actively moving their companies forward by validating assumptions and developing a business model. In addition to the funding, grant recipients participate in an eight-week customer discovery and product launch program, as well as being connected to NC IDEA’s strong network of advisors. The MICRO program was piloted in Spring 2018 as the Foundation made a commitment that no less than half of NC IDEA programmatic and funding resources would be in service to under-served communities. Without compromising its established evaluation criteria, the MICRO grant leverages the proven model and playbook of the Foundation’s long-standing $50K SEED grant program. This approach enables the Foundation to serve more North Carolina startups and significantly increase access to resources, funding, and opportunities for diverse entrepreneurial communities across the state.
“Each MICRO grant cycle continues to highlight the strength and potential of young companies across North Carolina,” said Amy Bastian, Vice President of Grants & Programs at NC IDEA. “These founders are leveraging the support of their local communities and the broader ecosystem, and we’re proud to support them at this pivotal stage to ensure more entrepreneurs have access to the resources and opportunities needed to build and grow,” Bastian added.
These fifteen NC IDEA MICRO grant recipients were chosen after a three-month competitive application and selection process that drew 338 applications from across the state:
- Clear Trials – Hillsborough, NC
- Ensembled – Raleigh, NC
- Fixxr Technologies – Charlotte, NC
- Iguana Cyber – Charlotte, NC
- Kathedra – Conover, NC
- Looks.AI – Durham, NC
- Lukera Energy – Carrboro, NC
- Milk Diary – Raleigh, NC
- Mindr – Durham, NC
- NCNaturalMixes – Wilmington, NC
- Near – Raleigh, NC
- Quellios – Cary, NC
- REAL OB – Raleigh, NC
- Squadies – Fuquay-Varina, NC
- Summer Sanity – Charlotte, NC
Since the inaugural cycle in 2018, NC IDEA MICRO has awarded over $2.5 million to 255 young companies across the state.
About NC IDEA FOUNDATION
NC IDEA is an independent private foundation committed to equitably empowering North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential. Through our powerful combination of competitive grants and programs and a network of strategic partners, we help entrepreneurs when they need it most. NC IDEA’s resources are highly competitive, enabling the Foundation to support North Carolina’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. We believe entrepreneurs transform communities and view our work as a catalyst for positive change. Learn more at www.ncidea.org.
