World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit
2025-03-11 - 2025-03-12

LSI USA
2025-03-17 - 2025-03-21

GCVI Summit
2025-03-18 - 2025-03-20

Winston Starts 2025 Investor Forum
2025-03-20

Future Food-Tech
2025-03-20 - 2025-03-21

Foundations of AI: Intro to Generative AI for Coders
2025-03-20 13:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)

The Small Business Expansion Summit hosted by NCCU's CEED
2025-03-22 09:00 - 16:00

Instant Payment Summit Global Series 2025
2025-03-24

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week
2025-03-24 - 2025-03-29

Strength in Numbers (S.I.N.) Mixer
2025-03-25 17:00 - 20:00
We’re excited to see our S.I.N.ers at Venture Connect! We’ll be kicking off the summit with an invite-only S.I.N. Mixer on Tuesday, March 25th, the evening before Venture Connect begins. The private gathering is your chance to build connections with fellow female-identifying founders, operators, investors, and key ecosystem partners in a more intimate setting before the rest of the conference.
How do you get your invite? By purchasing your Venture Connect ticket! Register Here.
A special thank you to our Impact Investors – 4LV and Hutchison PLLC – and our Event Sponsors – Aprio, Michael Best, Pappas Capital and Balentine.

VC25 Kick-off Party
2025-03-25 18:00 - 21:00
See you for our second annual Kick-off Party on Tuesday, March 25th, to welcome founders and funders attending Venture Connect! We are excited for the opportunity to catch up ahead of the conference.
How do you get your invite? By purchasing your Venture Connect ticket!
A special thank you to our Event Sponsors – Bank of America and Centri Consulting.

Doors Open | Registration, Check-In & Breakfast
2025-03-26 07:00 - 08:30 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
Kick off your VC25 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!

Partnering & Investor Meetings
2025-03-26 07:00 - 17:00 | Carolina Room, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
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!

Opening Session | The Power of Connection – Building the Future Together
2025-03-26 08:30 - 09:45 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
Venture Connect 2025 kicks off with an inspiring session featuring key voices shaping the Triangle’s innovation ecosystem. Mayor Janet Cowell joins us to kick things off, followed by insights from CED Co-Chairs Karl Rectanus and Scott Uknes on fueling the next wave of high-growth startups.
They’ll moderate a Founder Panel showcasing top founders:

Todd Olson, Pendo (software & analytics)
Chris Chuang, Relay (wearable communication)
Justine Tiu, The Woobles (consumer products)
Tom Adams, Pairwise (food technology)
Deb Bitterfield, Lindy Biosciences (biotech)
Ramin Karimpour, Targan (animal health)

Through powerful storytelling and data-driven insights, we’ll explore how our interconnected community is scaling success—and how you can be part of the next decade of growth.
The future starts here.

Accelerate Cleantech: A Global Matchmaking Event
2025-03-26 09:15 - 11:45 | Kennedy Theater, 2 East South Street Raleigh, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
CED is excited to introduce a new collaboration happening alongside Venture Connect: Accelerate Cleantech, hosted by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability and Institute for the Environment, serves as a global matchmaking event and business gateway to the U.S. and North Carolina. It is a curated, free and invitation-only event collocated with Venture Connect on the morning of March 26, 2025. This event is designed to 1) connect investors, accelerators and more with clean-tech start-ups and 2) create partnerships for companies looking to build a presence in the United States to facilitate their growth. Attendees of Accelerate Cleantech will also have access to the UNC Cleantech Summit in Chapel Hill on March 24 and 25.
💡 If you are interested in attending: investors (venture capital, angels, corporate technology scouts, etc.) can fill out this form and entrepreneurial ventures can fill out this form. You can also email aces@kenan-flagler.unc.edu.

Pitch Session | Biotech & Pharma
2025-03-26 10:00 - 11:15 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
75 minute pitch session featuring 7 companies. More information to come.

Pitch Session | Future of Work & Productivity
2025-03-26 10:00 - 11:15 | Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
75 minute pitch session featuring 9 companies. More information to come.

Founder Lounge AMA
2025-03-26 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-03-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Lounge, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
Join us in our a Private AMA (Ask Me Anything) Lounge – a space designed just for founders to connect, ask candid questions, and get real-time advice from experienced founders + operators.

Biotech Discussion / Investor Panel
2025-03-26 11:30 - 12:00 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
More information to come.

Pitch Session | Deeptech
2025-03-26 11:30 - 12:00 | Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
30 minute pitch session featuring 5 companies. More information to come.

Lunch Break: Connect & Recharge
2025-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Meymandi Upper Lobby, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
Take a break, grab a bite, and connect organically with fellow attendees. This unscripted, unstructured lunch is your time to step outside, spark new conversations, and build relationships in a relaxed setting. Whether you’re diving into a deep discussion or simply recharging for the afternoon sessions, this is your opportunity to network, unwind, and fuel up for what’s next.

Biotech Investor Lunch
2025-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Meymandi Lower Lobby, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
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 Xyzagen for sponsoring this lunch!

Pitch Session | Agtech & Food
2025-03-26 13:15 - 14:20 | Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
65 minute pitch session featuring 9 companies. More information to come.

Pitch Session | Sports, Gaming & Education
2025-03-26 13:15 - 14:20 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
65 minute pitch session featuring 7 companies. More information to come.

Pitch Session | Med Device & Biomaterials
2025-03-26 14:35 - 15:40 | Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States

Pitch Session | Sustainability
2025-03-26 14:35 - 15:40 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
65 minute pitch session featuring 8 companies. More information to come.

Tech Investor Reverse Pitch
2025-03-26 16:00 - 16:30 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
We’re turning the tables as we put our investors on the hot seat! Hear from growth stage tech investors as they walk us through their firm, team and investment focus.

Fireside Chat: A Bold New Vision for North Carolina’s Financial Future
2025-03-26 16:30 - 17:15 | Memorial Auditorium, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC - North Carolina, 27601
Join us for an exclusive fireside chat with Brad Briner, North Carolina’s newly elected State Treasurer, as he sits down with Edwin Poston, General Partner and Co-Founder of TrueBridge Capital. In a time of rapid economic change, Treasurer Briner is taking a fresh approach to North Carolina’s financial strategy, with a focus on unlocking new opportunities for investment, innovation, and long-term economic growth.
This candid conversation will explore the future of the state’s financial landscape, including what’s next for North Carolina’s Retirement System and how smarter capital allocation could impact businesses, taxpayers, and the broader investment community. For founders, funders, and financial leaders alike, this session is a rare opportunity to gain insights from the state’s top financial decision-maker and a seasoned venture capital expert.
Don’t miss this engaging discussion on what’s ahead for North Carolina’s economy—and how it could shape the future of high-growth startups in the region.

GrepBeat's Venture Connect After Party
2025-03-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 328 West Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Join GrepBeat as they hoist a glass to celebrate Venture Connect and the Triangle’s entrepreneurial spirit. Connect, unwind, and spark new ideas! RSVP is required.
Sponsored by Fourscore Law and Big Pixel.
