DPAC Stage

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 […]

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. Thank you to our sponsors, Michael Best & […]

The companies in this session are confronting some of the most pressing environmental and agricultural challenges of our time. From climate-resilient crops to next-generation water treatment and sustainable seafood, these innovators are using science to build a more resilient and sustainable world.

The companies in this session are operating at the frontier of what hardware and deep technology can do. From advanced robotics and satellite systems to novel materials and semiconductor architecture, these innovators are building the physical and computational infrastructure of tomorrow.

Join a respected panel of growth-stage investors (moderated by Peter Franconi of Fulcrum Equity Partners) as they discuss relevant topics ranging from the capital raising environment to the prevalence of AI in software business models.

Go to market execution is where most startups stall, and AI is changing how the best teams solve it. Kelly Breslin Wright, former President and COO of Gong and CRO of Tableau, joins Susan Cook, former CEO of Zaloni and CEO of DAS42, for a candid conversation on building high performing GTM engines. They will […]

How does the Triangle stack up against the leading startup ecosystems in the world? Dealroom CEO Yoram Wijngaarde opens with a global snapshot of venture activity, highlighting trends across capital, sectors, and emerging innovation hubs. Drawing on insights from the Triangle’s Dealroom initiative with CED, Yoram then joins Bill Spruill for a candid discussion on […]

The companies in this session are operating at the frontier of what hardware and deep technology can do. From advanced robotics and satellite systems to novel materials and semiconductor architecture, these innovators are building the physical and computational infrastructure of tomorrow.

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.

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.

Hear from our area's youngest entrepreneurs out of the NC School of Science and Mathematics who are designing solutions to tackle global challenges.