World Series of Founder / Investor Events (for the Southeast)
ConvergeSouth 2025
ConvergeSouth 2025 is now in its 9th year and is North Carolina’s largest expo of early and growth-stage startups. The two-day conference draws around 500 attendees over September 4-5 at Biotech Place in Winston-Salem, NC. Click HERE for full details and check out new program elements including concurrent pitch stages and Corporate Matchmaker sessions. Who should attend:
- If you are the founder of a scalable startup in the Southeast, this is the place to start the fall series. Apply to exhibit and reserve a spot in the exhibit hall. All startups will pitch on one of three pitch stages and have a chance to enter the Title Round, with a grand prize of $50,000 in software development services, and general partner meetings with Venture South and the WSPR fund. Enjoy 1:1 meetings with over 50 attending investment firms and the Corporate Matchmaker event, where you might meet your next customer or strategic partner.
- If you are an angel or VC investor, this is an excellent opportunity to source deal flow from among the 75 exhibiting startups. We will host an investor breakfast and evening reception on September 4 for attending investors. Watch pitches organized by Artificial Intelligence, B2B SaaS, Healthtech, Biotech, Agtech, B2C, Food/Bev, and Social Impact. Register here.
- If you are a freelancer, consultant, or looking to hitch your wagon to some of the fastest-growing innovation companies in the region, don’t miss the opportunity to network and book lots of meetings with founders and investors through the Whova Conference app. Register here before the early bird ticket deadline on August 1.
Next Venture Summit
The Next Venture Summit, in Greenville, SC, on September 16-17, is produced by Next Gen. Flywheel operates a multistate network of coworking innovation centers, and NextGen is the ecosystem leader and a key partner in our Greenville, SC, location. This is a fabulous conference. We encourage founders to apply for the Investor Match Day, an opportunity for more curated investor meetings.
Venture Atlanta
ConvergeSouth2025 and the Next Venture Summit are excellent preparations for Venture Atlanta, taking place on October 15-16. If you are actively fundraising in the next 18 months, apply to pitch. This is a significant value for presenting startups across all stages. Growth ($3MM+ ARR, raising $10M+), Early ($500k+, $2M), and Seed. To apply, please visit: https://www.ventureatlanta.org/pitch/. The deadline for submissions is August 8, 2025 – you have 30 days to go! Please don’t wait, as judges will start reviewing companies even before the deadline!
