CED Unveils Largest GRO Incubator Cohort Yet: Fourteen Innovative Startups Ready to Revolutionize Tech and Life Sciences

CED accepts fourteen companies into its seventh incubator cohort. The cohort is split between life sciences and technology/software companies.

Research Triangle Park, NC, April 17, 2024 – The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) announced the fourteen new companies that have been accepted into its GRO Incubator. The participating companies represent a diverse array of industries, ranging from therapeutics and diagnostics to health tech and software. Founders and their teams will participate in the twelve-week program, which culminates in a Demo Day, scheduled for June 27th. The cohort is sponsored by Longfellow Real Estate Partners. 

The companies were selected from a large pool of applications through a screening process to ensure company/program fit. “We are excited to be supporting the next batch of entrepreneurs in our ecosystem. Over the next twelve weeks, companies will learn from the targeted curriculum, collaborate with their cohort, and receive guidance from their coaches” said Preet Mankad, Startup Programs Lead. “We take pride in seeing our participants grow their skills and showcasing what they have learned at Demo Day”. 

The fourteen companies are: 

Autobotit is a B2B robotics company that uses bots to replace traditional shelving and sales labor in a retail establishment.

Benevolist is a platform for non-profits to manage collection drives better.

Celestic is a global B2B mobile provider built from the ground up to address the connectivity challenges faced by NGOs and media companies, operating in complex environments.

Epistam.Ai is an AI startup that has developed patent-pending anti-discrimination technology to help companies use machine learning to make high-stakes decisions such as credit and insurance underwriting without causing harm to consumers.

IngateyGen’s mission is to deliver innovative peanut varieties with improved safety and nutritional value that offer consumers enhanced health and wellness benefits by partnering with the food value chain to deliver quality products to market.

Oracon Technologies manufactures novel plastics and intermediates for techniques such as 3D printing.

PathStitch is creating a technology solution to up-skill current teachers & leaving teachers

Texture Tech is a science-driven hair care device company focused on tightly curled hair

ThryvAI is seeking to bring generative AI technology to the mental health market.

Theralinq is streamlining communication in pediatric therapy by developing a secure platform for caregivers and therapists that allows for customized care plans, enhanced progress monitoring, and data reporting capabilities.

TruPacta is the first SaaS-based procurement and vendor management tool in the market, focusing on the financial performance of the procurement function. Today, organizations are seeking to maximize returns from their partners by finding cost leakages and realizing the best contractual pricing. TruPacta speeds up the process of identifying cost leakages hence cost savings via automation and analytics.

Vitae Bio seeks to utilize lean operation techniques to generate generic biosimilars in the canine oncology space and beyond.

WikiELN is a customizable digital lab notebook for biotech companies.

Zymeron is a research-based biotechnology company discovering and developing innovations to enable step-change performance in new technologies and products.

CED would like to thank Longfellow Real Estate Partners for their support of this cohort.

“Longfellow has a deep connection to the Triangle, with well over a decade of investing in our communities and creating thoughtful, sustainable spaces for the region’s top companies and institutions to continue their powerful innovations that advance the human condition,” said Longfellow Managing Director, Greg Capps. “We are proud to partner with the CED and their mission to support the same innovative economy we work with day in and day out.”

Creating equitable access for all startups

As part of an organization-wide focus on providing equitable access to programming, CED awarded eleven scholarships to eliminate financial requirements and create access for startups that otherwise would be unable to participate. We’d like to recognize Longfellow Real Estate Partners for their contribution to the GRO Scholarship Fund. Learn more about sponsoring a company. 

Programming Details

GRO will offer weekly classes delivered by talented speakers and other foundational learning elements. Participants of GRO will also receive 1:1 coaching from industry leaders and entrepreneurs and complete assignments that will help them launch their ventures.

The program will conclude with Demo Day, June 27th, where participating companies will have the chance to get up on stage for a 5-minute pitch to the audience. Demo Day aims to serve as an introduction for our companies into the wider RDU ecosystem of entrepreneurs and innovators.

For more information about the program, visit the CED website.

About CED (Council for Entrepreneurial Development)

The Council for Entrepreneurial Development was formed in 1984 by a group of business leaders wanting to empower the successful creation and growth of entrepreneurial companies in the North Carolina region. CED acts as the connective center for all of this to happen. Through high-touch support, education, access to capital, and crucial connections, CED brings entrepreneurs together with the optimal resources needed to turn a new company into a success story. For more information go to www.cednc.org.

Media should contact Preet Mankad at for more information.