Join us as we officially kick off Venture Connect 2026 with an evening designed to energize, connect, and celebrate the entrepreneurial community. Thank you to our sponsors Baker Donelson and Xyzagen for this event! How do you get your invite? By purchasing your Venture Connect ticket! Register Here.
Join CED for Venture Connect 2026, the leading conference in the Southeast for scaling startups. Spotlight on: Next-Gen Hardware & Deep Tech, Software Innovation, Human Health: Biotech, Tools & Therapeutics, and Science for a Healthier Planet.
Kick off your VC26 experience with registration and a light continental breakfast. Connect with fellow attendees over coffee, fuel up for an inspiring day ahead, and get ready to dive into the conversations that will shape the future of the Triangle’s innovation ecosystem. Doors open early—see you there! Special thanks to our Breakfast Sponsor, Edward […]
Looking to accelerate your business growth? Bookable meeting spaces are available for one-on-one conversations with investors, partners, and key ecosystem resources. Whether you’re seeking capital, strategic guidance, or industry connections, this is your chance to forge valuable relationships that drive your startup forward. Schedule your meetings and make every moment count!
Spend time connecting with our Venture Connect sponsors! Visit their booths, learn about their work, and explore ways to collaborate and build meaningful relationships.
Venture Connect 2026 opens with a bold framing of the venture landscape amid sweeping technological and societal change. Robert Tercek, co-founder of The Futurists Network and Nura Studios AI, explores the defining force of the 21st century: dematerialization—the ongoing shift of physical products, infrastructure, and entire industries into software. For more than three decades, software […]
In addition to the DPAC Stage presentations, Venture Connect features a dynamic lightning round where emerging technology companies present rapid-fire pitches.
From ENT care to oncology, the companies in this session are redefining how medicine is practiced, delivered, and experienced. Whether through novel device engineering, AI-powered diagnostics, or breakthrough therapeutics, these innovators are tackling some of healthcare’s most persistent challenges. Thank you, Wyrick Robbins, for sponsoring this event.
This session showcases software companies using artificial intelligence, automation, and modern cloud platforms to solve real-world problems across healthcare, construction, education, finance, and beyond. What unites them is a commitment to replacing inefficiency with intelligence — and delivering measurable impact to the people and organizations they serve.
In addition to the DPAC Stage presentations, Venture Connect features a dynamic lightning round where emerging life science companies present rapid-fire pitches.
We are excited to host an invite-only Biotech Investor Lunch during Venture Connect. This is a unique opportunity to network with fellow biotech investors over lunch and engage in insightful conversations. Thank you to Seward & Kissel & Dean Dorton for sponsoring this lunch!