CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) is a North Carolina nonprofit that connects founders, investors, and partners across the state. Programs include FORGE for founders, Accelerate for investors, and Connect for partners.

How do I join CED as a founder?

Founders join through FORGE. Apply to the 12-week GRO Incubator to move from idea to traction, or join FORGE membership for ongoing access to Founders-in-Residence, The Marketplace, and warm investor intros.

How do investors engage with CED?

Investors join Accelerate for curated deal flow, real-time market intel via Dealroom, quarterly investor happy hours, and direct intros to NC startups across pre-seed to growth stage.

How can companies and universities partner with CED?

Corporate partners, service providers, and universities engage through Connect — sponsoring programs, mentoring founders, hosting events, or offering student opportunities and externships.

What is CED's $20B goal?

CED is committed to generating the next $20 billion in new enterprise value in North Carolina by 2034 — measured through startups supported, capital raised, and exits delivered.

Where is CED located?

CED is headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, serving founders and investors across Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and the broader state.

Supporting entrepreneurship in North Carolina since 1984

Driving growth, fueling innovation
in North Carolina.

CED is the connective tissue of NC's startup ecosystem — a nonprofit that puts founders, investors, and community partners in the same room, with the same goal: $20 billion in new NC enterprise value by 2034.

Last year, together

2024 Impact

706

Startups Supported

in 2024

47%

Led by Women or BIPOC

founders

1M+

Connections Made

across the ecosystem

13K

Support Hours

delivered to founders

Next up

All events →

Friday, May 15 – May 17 · Fri 6 PM – Sun 9 PM

Startup Weekend Durham VII: The Age of AI

Build an AI startup in 54 hours. Idea → prototype → pitch — with mentors who've actually shipped.

FoundersBuildersStudents📍 American Underground

All Day

Where Triangle engineers and engineering leaders connect on what they're actually building.

EngineersFounders📍 Durham Convention Center

JUN

Fri

Free Coworking Day at The Junction

8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Free desk space in Chapel Hill's innovation hub. Bring your laptop, leave with new collaborators.

FoundersOperators📍 Innovate Carolina

Trusted by the people building North Carolina

Three communities. One mission.

Find your people. Build something real.

Founders + Operators

FORGE

Build your startup with the people who've done it before.

A community designed by founders, for founders. Honest, unbiased coaching from people who've sat in your chair. The 12-week GRO Incubator and The Marketplace put expert tools and warm intros at your fingertips.

12-week GRO Incubator — concept to traction
Founders-in-Residence across SaaS, biotech, deeptech, agtech
The Marketplace — vetted resources, no upsell
11K+ warm intros made in 2024

Join FORGE

Investors

Accelerate

Find the next NC breakout — with real intel, not noise.

Curated deal flow, market data, and warm intros for investors at every stage. Our Connect to Capital team actively matches founders to the right capital sources — direct, syndicate, or strategic.

Real-time NC ecosystem dashboard (Dealroom)
Quarterly Investor Happy Hours
Connect to Capital intros
Unbiased market intel + funding reports

Explore Accelerate

Partners + Community

Connect

Strengthen the ecosystem you depend on.

For corporates, service providers, universities, and community builders who want to plug into NC innovation. Sponsor founders, mentor students, host events, or volunteer — pick your lane.

Corporate + trade partnership programs
Student opportunities + GRO Incubator externships
Strength in Numbers — for women-identifying leaders
Direct line into 7 NC universities

Become a Partner

For founders, by founders.

"Venture Connect was one of the most valuable pitch events of the year. I made meaningful connections that have benefitted the growth of Couplet Care."
SM
Stacie McEntyre
CEO · Couplet Care

Why CED

The Triangle works because someone keeps the gears turning.

1984

Founded

A handful of operators in a Research Triangle conference room decide NC needs an entrepreneurial backbone. CED is born as a member nonprofit.

Today

The Engine

706 startups supported last year. 47% led by women or BIPOC founders. 1M+ connections made. The center of NC innovation.

2034

The Goal

$20 billion in new NC enterprise value. More founders raising more capital from more places — and staying here to build.

Built by Founders

Our Founders-in-Residence have started, scaled, and exited NC companies. Real coaching from people who've made the calls you're about to make.

Unbiased Intel

We don't take equity. We don't push partners on you. Our data and intros exist to grow the ecosystem — not extract from it.

Where Capital Meets Companies

Quarterly investor happy hours, deal flow newsletters, and 1:1 intros put NC startups in front of the people who actually write checks.

Stay close to the ecosystem

The CED Weekly. One email. Five minutes.

Fundings, founders to know, events worth showing up to, and what we're hearing from NC investors. Sent every Thursday morning.

Driving growth, fueling innovationin North Carolina.