August 3, 2017October 24, 2019 // CED News/Events CED Announces 100+ Companies to be Featured at the CED Tech Venture Conference 2017 Selected Companies specialize in AdTech, Advanced Manufacturing & Materials, Artificial Intelligence, Business Intelligence/Analytics, Clean Tech, Cloud Storage, Consumer Products, Digital Health, E-commerce, EdTech, FinTech, Gaming, HR Tech, Internet of Things, Security, Virtual Reality and More DURHAM, NC, August 3, 2017 — The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced that over 100 of the region’s most innovative, disruptive entrepreneurial companies have been selected to be featured at the CED Tech Venture Conference 2017, to be held September 19-20 in Raleigh, NC. As the premier annual event for technology entrepreneurs in the Southeast, the CED Tech Venture Conference attracts 800+ attendees including trailblazing entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, and industry visionaries from across the nation. Selected companies to be featured at the conference were chosen for four different opportunities: Showcase, Emerging Technologies, Lightning Round, and Demo Room. Showcase – Thirteen (13) companies were chosen to be showcased on the main stage. Entrepreneurs from each of the showcase companies will share their story and present their technology live. Emerging Technologies – Five (5) companies were identified as particularly disruptive technology and will provide a demonstration on the main stage. Lightning Round – Twenty-one (21) companies were chosen for a pitch on the main stage, limited to a few minutes each. Demo Room – An additional fifty-six (56) companies will be exhibited in the Demo Room for one-on-one networking and in-person display of their capabilities. Click Here to View Full List Featured companies were chosen by a selection committee made up of distinguished local entrepreneurial community members, including active angel investors, local and regional venture capital firms, community and corporate partners, and CED’s Director of Entrepreneurship Jay Bigelow. “The committee reviewed an all-time record number of applications, and we are excited to provide exposure for over one hundred companies this year with the addition of the Emerging Technologies presentations and even more Demo Room participants,” said CED’s Jay Bigelow. “Similar to previous years, the selected companies represent a diversity of sub-sectors, but we saw a particular increase in business intelligence, clean tech, and HR tech applicants. From early-stage, to emerging growth, to companies with significant traction, the conference will showcase the full spectrum of entrepreneurial activity in this region and will attract both local and outer-market investors with diverse investment criteria.” Bigelow noted that applicants listed more than 50 separate community partners that have assisted the entrepreneurs as they build their businesses, including CED. In addition to the selected companies, a handful of growth-stage entrepreneurs will utilize the conference as a platform to publicly release exclusive, newsworthy updates live on the main stage. In its 33rd year, the CED Tech Venture Conference is one of nation’s longest-running, and the Southeast’s largest, entrepreneurial events with over 800 annual attendees including investors from over 75 firms across the U.S. Leading strategy and plans along with the CED team, Robbie Allen, Founder and Executive Chairman of Automated Insights, and Jason Caplain, General Partner of Bull City Venture Partners, are co-chairs for this major annual event. In addition to company presentations and networking in the Demo Room, the agenda will feature top industry thought leaders as speakers and panelists throughout the two-day conference. Confirmed speakers include: Michael Chasen, current CEO of PrecisionHawk, Co-Founder and former CEO of Blackboard, and Founder of SocialRadar David Cohen, Founder & co-CEO of Techstars Alex Estevez, Venture Partner at Accel Partners (venture capital fund based in Silicon Valley) Mark Fernandes, Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures (venture capital fund based in Silicon Valley) Chris Heivly, Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at Techstars Doug Lebda, Founder, Chairman & CEO of LendingTree Additional speakers and agenda details will be announced soon. Attendees who register by August 24 save $75. To learn more about the conference and register, visit cednc.org/TVC As always, CED members receive the best rates. For information on becoming a member, please visit cednc.org/join Media interested in attending the conference should contact Emily McLoughlin at emcloughlin@cednc.org.