August 25, 2016October 24, 2019 // CED News/Events Investors from 50 Funds to connect with 90+ Emerging Companies at the CED Tech Venture Conference 2016 DURHAM, NC, August 25, 2016 — The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the largest and longest-running network for entrepreneurs in the country, today announced that 50 venture capital, strategic and angel funds across the nation will gather in Raleigh to engage North Carolina’s hottest emerging and growth-stage tech companies at the CED Tech Venture Conference 2016. Investors are expecting to see over 90 companies that represent a diversity of technology sub-sectors, including: AdTech, advanced manufacturing and materials, artificial intelligence, cleantech, cloud storage, consumer products, cyber security, digital health, e-commerce, EdTech, FinTech, Internet of Things, virtual reality and more. These companies will be featured in the Demo Room for one-on-one networking and display of their products and technologies, while a select number have been chosen to give live pitches on the main stage in the Showcase (14) and Lightning Round (12). CED expects over 100 investors to attend the conference from a wide variety of firms. The 50 firms with confirmed attendance represent private equity funds, venture funds, angels, corporate investors and strategics. “This year’s diverse attendance is a testament to the growing investment interest in our region as an emerging hub for entrepreneurship with attractive, promising companies. In addition to funds based in North Carolina, investors are traveling from 14 other states–as far away as California and Massachusetts,” said Dhruv Patel, CED’s Director of Investor Relations. “As part of our Connections to Capital program, I personally work with the investors in advance of the conference to make sure they will meet the companies that best fit their individual investment criteria, from specific sub-sector to company stage. At past CED Tech Venture Conferences, multiple successful connections between investors and entrepreneurs have led to millions of dollars in funding for startups. This year we will continue to play matchmaker and help secure funding for our most-promising companies.” One of these successful Connections to Capital introductions occurred at last year’s conference, leading to the first round of institutional funding for Morrisville-based inMotionNow, Inc. Ben Hartmere, CEO of inMotionNow, decided to kick off the company’s fundraising at Tech Venture 2015 after the CED team worked with him on pitch coaching and network connections. At last year’s conference, Dhruv Patel introduced Hartmere to Ramsay Battin from the venture capital firm Eastside Partners out of Atlanta. Eight months later, inMotionNow raised $3.1 million led by Eastside Partners. With this raise, inMotionNow is creating 25 new jobs, thanks to CED’s contributions and the Tech Venture Conference. “This conference is a very efficient way for investors to meet the top entrepreneurs in North Carolina. CED welcomes each investor personally, makes curated connections, and organizes investor-only events to facilitate valuable networking,” said Ramsay Battin, Partner at Eastside Partners. “I’ll be back this year to meet with more entrepreneurs and hopefully find our next investment in the region.” One of the invite-only investor events at the conference is a meeting of the Southeast Investor Group (SEIG). SEIG is a 20-year-old organization based in Atlanta with 30 venture capital funds, five corporate venture funds and 25 individual investors as members. Because of Dhruv Patel’s investor relations work, CED is SEIG’s first affiliate member and hosted the group’s first meeting outside of Atlanta at last year’s Tech Venture Conference. Several entrepreneurs will present at the SEIG meeting, getting in front of the most active institutional investors in the Southeast. Full list of investment funds currently confirmed to attend: Alerion Ventures Baird Capital Ballast Point Ventures Boston Millennia Partners Brentwood Capital Advisors Bull City Venture Partners Carolina Seed Investors Centripetal Capital Partners Charleston Angel Partners Charlotte Angel Fund Cherokee Chrysalis Ventures Core Capital Partners Double Time Capital Dow Chemical Eastside Partners Fulcrum Equity Partners GCM Grosvenor Capital GM Ventures Grotech Ventures Harbert Growth Partners Hatteras Venture Partners IBM IDEA Fund Partners Intel Capital Intersouth Partners LLR Partners Lowe’s Ventures Madison River Ventures Mosaic Health Solutions New Capital Partners Noro-Moseley Partners North Bridge Growth Equity Red Hat Revolution Ventures Rex Health Ventures River Cities Capital Funds Riverside Acceleration Capital RTP Capital Associates Samsung Research America Southeast Investor Group Spring Lake Equity Partners Susquehanna Growth Equity TDF Ventures Tech Square Ventures The Launch Place Triangle Angel Partners Vocap Investment Partners Warburg Pincus Wilmington Investor Network As one of the nation’s top events for showcasing groundbreaking technology, the CED Tech Venture Conference attracts over 800 attendees annually including investors and corporate leaders from across the U.S., emerging North Carolina-based entrepreneurial companies, representatives from the state’s top universities, and community partners. To attend the conference, please register at cednc.org/TVC. As always, CED members receive the best rates. For information on becoming a member, please visit cednc.org/join. Conference website: /TVC Media interested in attending the conference or connecting with Showcase, Lightning Round or Demo Room companies should contact Emily McLoughlin at emcloughlin@cednc.org or 919-226-0477.