IDEA NC
FoundationDurham · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 3 people tracked
Find your way into IDEA NC
140 people in our graph share verified history with the IDEA NC team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
NC IDEA is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship and equitable economic development across North Carolina. Since 2006 it has awarded grants to companies and partner organizations statewide, aiming to make the state the best place to start and grow a business. Its programs include MICRO and SEED grants for early-stage companies, ecosystem-building initiatives with statewide partners, an annual Ecosystem Summit, and the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council which focuses on elevating Black entrepreneurship. The foundation emphasizes inclusive opportunity for all entrepreneurs as vital to economic prosperity, spanning rural and urban communities throughout North Carolina's regions.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 13, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 65 of 353 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×17Healthtech ×17SaaS ×14Biotech ×10Consumer ×9Digital Health ×9Medical Devices ×7AgTech ×6
HQs:United States×71
Who they back
founder profiles across 50 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×302 founders×143 founders×44+ founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 46 founders with education data
North Carolina State University ×7The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ×7Duke University ×5UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School ×3Davidson College ×2Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business ×2Fort Hays State University ×2Georgia Institute of Technology ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 46 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×16Business & Management ×15Computer Science ×7Chemistry ×3Finance & Accounting ×3Humanities ×3Life Sciences ×3Economics ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 49 founders with career history
North Carolina State University ×3Blueprint Health LLC ×2Duke University ×2SolarPack ×2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
10 founders hold a PhD · 12 hold an MBA (of 49 with degree data)
Investments · 353 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12023 · 92022 · 32021 · 12020 · 32019 · 22018 · 12017 · 22016 · 12014 · 22011 · 126 dated
Guerrilla RF designs and manufactures high-performance RFIC and MMIC components, including low noise amplifiers, gain blocks, power amplifiers, mixers and switches.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsGreensboro, US
Ryan Pratt(Founder)inJohn Berg(Executive Officer)inDesiree Pratt(Executive Officer)Kellie Chong(Chief Business Officer)inMike John-Williams(Chief Financial Officer)inMark Mason(Chief Operating Officer)in
Acta provides software that puts pre-approved responses, department knowledge, and AI-powered parcel data into Outlook and the browser for local government staff, helping them respond to resident inquiries accurately and consistently.
AI & Machine LearningGovTechSaaS
Pavani Peri(Founder)in
Allstacks is an AI-agent platform that connects data from software development tools (Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins) to provide engineering teams and leaders with delivery metrics, risk alerts, and recommendations for planning, managing, and optimizing software creation.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareRaleigh, US
Jeremy Freeman(Founder)inHersh Tapadia(Founder)inDarrell J. Freeman, Jr.(Executive Officer, Director)Scot Sherwood(Director)
BoardAndrew Drylie(Director)inFiras Raouf(Director)in
Co-investorsAtlassian VenturesCompanyon VenturesCreativeCoFirst Rays Venture PartnersGutbrain VenturesHyperplane Venture Capital+7 more
Altis Biosystems builds RepliGut®, human intestinal tissue models grown from human intestinal stem cells that provide human-relevant preclinical data for drug absorption, metabolism, toxicity, and disease modeling.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesDurham, US
Christopher Sims(Executive Officer)inJimmy Smedley(Executive Officer)inSamuel Franklin(Director)Joseph McMahon(Director)Michael Biron(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardChristopher Perkins(Director)
Co-investorsAtlanta Technology AngelsCentral Texas Angel NetworkCheckmate Capital Group LLCHatteras Venture PartnersJohnson Venture PartnersVentureSouth
Durham, US
Anil Chawla(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardPaul Harney(Director)David E. Gardner(Director)
Co-investorsLevel Equity
Armada IQ provides AI strategy consulting and implementation services, including proprietary AI system design, machine learning model deployment, data infrastructure architecture, and enterprise training for organizations seeking to develop and operationalize AI capabilities.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareCharlotte, US
Co-investorsTechstars
Arpio provides an automated disaster recovery platform purpose-built for AWS and Azure cloud applications.
Cloud ComputingCybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaSDurham, US
Doug Neumann(Founder)inShaw Terwilliger(Founder)in
BoardEric Engineer(Director)inWill Omberg(Director)in
Co-investorsCompanyon VenturesCreativeCoDraper AssociatesPaladin Capital GroupS3 VenturesY Combinator+3 more
Atlantic Fish develops bioengineering solutions, likely focusing on cellular agriculture or aquaculture applications based on team expertise in cell line development and bioprocess engineering.
BiotechClimate TechFoodTechWashington, Dc, US
Doug Grant(CEO)Trevor Ham(Chief Science Officer)inFrederick Douglas Grant(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsAlwyn CapitalSustainable Food Ventures
Automated Insights uses natural language generation to turn sports statistics from the Opta database into readable narratives such as game previews, live match insights, and player bios in multiple languages.
AI & Machine LearningMedia & EntertainmentSports TechDurham, US
Robert Allen(Executive Officer, Director)Adam Smith(Executive Officer)in
BoardScott M. Frederick(Executive Officer, Director)inScot Wingo(Director)Randy Castleman(Director)Jim Dugan(Director)
Co-investorsBoxGroupOsage Venture PartnersSamsung Venture Investment Corporation
BatteryXchange operates a network of portable phone-charging kiosks placed in partner business locations, allowing mobile device users to borrow batteries and return them to any nearby kiosk.
Circular EconomyConsumerHardwareIoTCharlotte, US
Desmond A Wiggan(Executive Officer, Director)inAubrey Yeboah(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsNex Cubed
BearFiber develops proprietary methods to produce hemp fiber with cotton-like properties for use in apparel and consumer products.
AgTechCircular EconomyConsumerNew MaterialsWellness & Fitness
Capwave provides AI agents that coordinate the fundraising process for founders and investors.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Charlotte Ketelaar(Co-founder)inReid Williams(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsPrimordial VenturesPrimordial
Cell Microsystems develops automated instruments for cellular and molecular workflows used in life science research, including oncology, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine.
BiotechDeep TechHardwareMedical DevicesDurham, US
Scott McGinnis(President)inNancy Allbritton(Director)Yuli Wang(Director)Matthew Megaro(Director)Gary Pace(Executive Officer, Director)Christopher Sims(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsTelegraph Hill Partners
CivicReach helps residents connect with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to access services they depend on.
AI & Machine LearningGovTechSaaS
Co-investorsPrimordial VenturesVC 414
Companah is a women-owned family business offering water cremation services for pets in North Carolina, treating animal aftercare with dignity and personalized attention comparable to their living care.
ConsumerWellness & FitnessNorth Carolina, US
Hal AtkinsShannon Atkins
Corevist provides a B2B eCommerce and self-service customer portal platform built for SAP manufacturers, offering real-time SAP integration for pricing, ordering, and order management.
Advanced ManufacturingE-commerceSaaSRaleigh, US
Sam Bayer(Executive Officer, Director)Kevin Mosley(Director)
Co-investorsJurassic CapitalRecurring Capital Partners
Couplet Care designs the Couplet Care Bassinet, a hospital bassinet developed through human-centered research to let mothers see, reach, and interact with newborns from their hospital beds.
Digital HealthFemTechHealthtechMedical DevicesApex, US
Kristin Tully(Founder)inTy HaglerinStacie McEntyre(Chief Executive Officer)inDonald A. Holworth(Director)Jan L. Davis(Director)
Courtroom5 provides a litigation toolkit and guidance system for self-representing litigants (pro se parties) to navigate court procedures, interpret law, and prepare cases without hiring lawyers.
LegalTechDurham, US
Sonja Ebron(Executive Officer, Director)inDebra Slone(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsAd Astra VenturesTechstars
Dare Vegan Cheese produces plant-based cheese products sold direct to consumers via e-commerce.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechAsheville, US
Gwendolyn Dare Hageman(Founder)
A beauty service brand offering eyebrow shaping, brow styling, permanent makeup, lash lift, and facial treatments, with pre-treatment consultations to match techniques to each client's facial structure and skin condition.
ConsumerFuture of WorkWellness & FitnessFort Mill, US
Co-investorsTechstars
Elite HRV provides a team dashboard for remote analysis of heart rate variability, sleep, exercise, and mood data to help coaches, sports teams, athletes, and wellness practitioners monitor client and team member wellbeing and optimize training and recovery.
ConsumerDigital HealthHealthtechSaaSWellness & FitnessAsheville, US
Jason Moore(Executive Officer, Director)inVince Salvo(Executive Officer)inJef Fry(Executive Officer)
BoardAlyssa Moore(Director)Peter Blacklow(Director)inMeredith McPherron(Director)
Co-investorsHigh Country Impact FundBoston Seed CapitalDBDK VentureIdeaship
Flux Hybrids develops plug-in hybrid powertrain kits for vehicles, available as second-stage manufacturer upfits or aftermarket installations.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechMobility & TransportationTroutman, US
Cody Biedermann(Cofounder)inClay Dowdey(Cofounder)inMicah Ulrich(Cofounder)inWilliam Swartz(Director)
Co-investorsTechstarsWolfpack Investor Network
Fokuslabs develops Revibe, a wearable platform built on Samsung hardware that delivers personalized vibration and text reminders to enhance focus and attention.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechIoT
Co-investorsThe Launch Place
An investment app providing personalized wealth journeys and comprehensive wealth management through subscription-based financial planning.
AI & Machine LearningFintechCharlotte, US
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalTechstars
Just Her Rideshare operates a pre-scheduled transportation coordination platform connecting women riders with independent women drivers.
B2B MarketplacesMarketplacesMobility & TransportationCharlotte, US
Kimberly Evans(Founder)in
KelaHealth develops data-driven solutions that apply insights from millions of patient records to personalize and improve medical decision-making.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Bora Chang(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDennis McWilliams(Director)
Co-investorsBlue Hour VenturesIntuitive VenturesNueterra CapitalTechstarsSante Ventures
Keona Health provides a healthcare contact center platform that guides call center agents and nurses through clinical pathways and handles routine patient requests across phone, SMS/chat, and web to schedule appointments and manage care coordination.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechChapel Hill, US
OAKKAR OAKKAR(Executive Officer, Director)inSTEPHEN DEAN(Executive Officer)inJimmy Kaanapu(Founder)inJIMMY KAANAPU(Executive Officer)in
BoardBRUCE THOMPSON(Director)
Co-investorsRiverside Acceleration CapitalSaaS CapitalThe Riverside Company
Learn.xyz is a corporate learning platform that uses AI to convert documents such as handbooks, policies, and slide decks into gamified, bite-sized micro lessons.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechHR Tech
Co-investorsCoinbase VenturesFlori VenturesEarl Grey Capital
Liine is a marketing data and lead management platform designed for healthcare practices and clinics.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMarketing TechSaaSRaleigh, US
Bradley R. Blaser(Executive Officer, Director)inCharles Winn IV(Executive Officer, Director)Eric Blaser(Executive Officer)inCharles Winn(President and Representative)Andrew Johnson(Executive Officer)in
BoardArun Mohan(Director)
Co-investorsEastside Partners
Lucerna Dynamics provides software that identifies injection errors in nuclear medicine procedures, evaluates their impact, and helps reduce error frequency for healthcare teams.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesCary, US
RONALD LATTANZE(CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)inJOSH KNOWLAND(VP Product Development, Co-Founder)CHARLES SCARANTINO, M.D.(CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER)WILLIAM GORGE(SECRETARY AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER)inRon Lattanze(CEO)in
BoardANNE SMALLING(Director)
Co-investorsElevate Innovation Partners
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
2132 2279613 Spark Design4Evermore Ventures828 Labs LlcActive DefenderAdaptbionicAdvanced Hydrogen Technologies CorporationAlontree CompanyAmissaAmpogeeAnimal Cancer DxAntlia EnergyAnybody ClothingAnycloudAp SolutionsArcametrics Systems IncArcticArgonetaArgyle SocialAscend GoalsAshanti StylesAstrahiveAuthorloyaltyB Sea ResearchBasetraceBattlebuggies To Go LlcBcombsBeam DynamicsBeecozBibi ThreadsBioMedomicsBioshape SolutionsBleanBlkresumesBlue Ridge AromaticsBlue Spatial CorpBoostsuiteBooty MintBotanical BonesBrand AssuranceBristles LlcBruvueCaiaCalico SolCanine HarvestCanopy Lawn CareCardiovascular ResonancesCardstalkCarolina InstrumentsCellbreakerChatstyleChiliportCicilCircuitsaysClever Education SolutionsClinical SensorsCommitteesCommunity Expert SolutionsContent CommandersCopyforwardCore Ai CorporationCore PrognostexCore Snatcher IncCounsel ConnectCps BiofuelsCrowdtunesCurateCybershield SecurityCydocCytex Therapeutics, Inc.Davos CorporationDaywattDealcloudDeltasphere IncDendiDescalzaDevils Foot Beverage CompanyDiluviumDivysci SoftwareDojo FreshDpoly SystemsDrabaDyzen IncEcocurrentEcotekindustriesEcreeEdulyncElectronic Lab LogsEmbrew Coffee And Tea ProductsEmployusEncapsioEntogeneticsEpiphany Mobile SolutionsEssential PersonnelExstobioEz Food OrderFeedstationFiltaraFishinglicense UsFitmom AthleticsFixersistersFlasky LabwareFloor HealthFlow PhantomFramewrkFreedomFreshspireFun Mom BandGema TouchGig ConnectedGivefinityGleanGoghnowGokart KidsGravitlGreen Cooling GroupGreen Solutions GroupGreen Stream TechnologiesGrill PinzGryppers IncHaytrabajo Blockchain SolutionsHealthemeHolysmokesHome For Life DesignsHome Lending PalHoppy Planet FoodsHot Route AnalyticsIedapts LlcImagineoptixImamaImpathiqImpulsonic, Inc.Infosense IncInneroptic Technology IncInrfoodInsitutecInstrydeInterview SchoolIvyJabin Beverage CoJaylas HeirloomsJeddahs TeaJoosyJute NetworksKinlyLabrunnerLamassu ArakLight And Charge SolutionsLightforge GamesLiraLittle HouseLoanwellLoyaleseLumen Design GroupLuxury Shoe ClubMailvuMatMatcha NudeMati EnergyMbrightMedicporterMefiverMercierMicmag By MeMithrilai Corp
Browse all 353 investments with full details →
▶153 more tracked companies
Moor For LessMotaaviMuuktestMvtrakMybeehyveMycologicsMykareMykinfoMymatrMyperiodpalNanoforgeNatrxNautilus MaterialsNeighborzNeomega Nutritionals LlcNeuroPlusNext RayNirvana SciencesNo Evil FoodsNo Mess SpfNoteninjaNovocorNurtured NestNurv Fit CorporationOncoscopeOpensproutsOpiaidOrchid Gene LlcOtherscreenPadeoPanaceutics IncPapermulchPatagonia Health IncPeriscope Health AnalyticsPettygigsPhinitePhyscientPiedmont PenniesPinnacle Medical ProductsPip GrowPlanktos InstrumentsPlantd ClimbingPlantnrgyPollynation ApothecaryPonybox ClothingPopupPostbiotic LabsPowerchalk LlcPreservation DyehouseProaxionProctorfreeProject HeelProtect3dProtochipsProtopiaPT WiredPump For JoyPureskill GgQcardQuartersproutRebundleRedbud LabsRemedeaseRenaissance FiberRent AssuredResistor BrewsResolvexRethink LedgersRevBossRim HelmetsRite Of PassageroobrikRosa TechnologySalusSandbar Oyster CompanySaniSarda Technologies IncSAViiScale Social AiScion NeurostimSeachange TechnologiesSecure LivingSelah InnovationsSeniors In TransitionServeHubShyftautoSinobas AmplificationSinonSix Wing StudiosSize Me UpSmart Girls HqSnappicfixSnapyetiSnugwicksSocial CascadeSoteria Formulations IncSpice WitchSpoonflowerSpring EngageSpring MulberryStartup SpotStemzSubstantial MediaSureSurveiTeam Genius SquadTec CelThe Coaching MarkThe Quick SpaceThe Wed CliqueThimblerThree Strands Recovery WearTin LizzeeTom JennysTransLocTrinketTrio LabsTrommlTsv AnalyticsUnbox The DressUndecidedUnravelUp OnUpswingUrban OffsetsValencellVengaVenturing Lifestyle DesignsVerineticsVetleticsVirnikaVitalfloVitality Robotics IncVizlaVizma Life SciencesWashington’s HammerWeeklyWell Seasoned TableWest End LearningWeyezeWh FarmsWildweed GardensWithout a Trace FoodsWorxstr LlcWrangleWreckingball Systems LlcWritten Word MediaXR TechnologiesYour Case PlanYour Minute MechanicZarias MilkZenaluxZumatek
Exits · 3
1 IPOs · 2 acquisitions · showing 2Guerrilla RFOTC: GUERArcametrics Systems Incacq. by Media Math
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesLearn · technews180.com · Sep 8, 2026
Altis Biosystems · tweenertimes.com · Aug 27, 2026
TransLoc · transloc.com · Aug 17, 2026
Guerrilla RF · stocktitan.net · Aug 13, 2026
Arpio · fundraiseinsider.com · Jun 7, 2026
Capwave · capwave.ai · May 21, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has IDEA NC made?
- IDEA NC has 353 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does IDEA NC invest at?
- IDEA NC invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Late Stage stages.
- What is IDEA NC's typical check size?
- IDEA NC typically writes checks of $250K – $2M.
- What sectors does IDEA NC focus on?
- IDEA NC focuses on Biotech, Consumer, Data & Infrastructure, Enterprise Software, Hardware, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Media & Entertainment, Medical Devices, New Materials, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is IDEA NC located?
- IDEA NC is headquartered in Durham, US.
- Who does IDEA NC co-invest with?
- IDEA NC most often shares deals with Techstars, High Country Impact Fund, Companyon Ventures, among 65 tracked co-investors.
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