1,079
Total number of UNC startups (since 1958)
$19.2B
Annual startup revenue (FY 2024)
$19.8B
Total startup funding raised (since 1958)
Data Sources: Innovate Carolina Startups Database, 2024
Venture creation is our DNA
At Carolina, we see research discoveries and novel ideas as more than academic explorations. They're the beginnings of new businesses. Our startup accelerators and programs provide faculty and students with entrepreneurial tools and resources to launch new ventures. We turn science into startups. And novel ideas into economic impact and social good.
Photo right: Nora Spencer, founder and CEO of Hope Renovations. Read Hope Renovations' story and learn how it trains women with trades skills to fill high-demand, high-wage construction jobs.
Total UNC Startups (since 1958)
Active UNC startups
Active UNC startups headquartered in NC
Total UNC Startup Jobs
UNC startup jobs created in North Carolina, 115,098 total jobs created
Local roots. Global reach.
Active UNC-affiliated startups headquartered in
North Carolina counties
Built in Carolina. To boost our communities.
of active UNC startups are headquartered across 34 NC counties
of revenue earned by UNC startups comes from those headquartered in NC
of UNC startups are still active
Raise the roof on capital and revenue
Who launches startups at Carolina?
Startup standouts
Confidence in their craft
Women comprise 4 percent of the construction trades workforce—a statistic Nora Spencer is determined to change via her nonprofit startup Hope Renovations. In three years, the venture has trained more than 75 women and gender-expansive individuals with the trade skills to work in high-demand, high-paying construction fields.
Beyond bagels
In a few short years, Brandwein’s Bagels has become the go-to bagel shop in downtown Chapel Hill, expanded into a successful catering service and tripled its physical footprint. The attention to detail and quality help set the business apart by emphasizing a secret ingredient: building connections with customers in the Chapel Hill community.
CAROLINA ANGEL NETWORK
A startup funding haven. Made in blue heaven.
For early-stage, UNC-affiliated startup founders, seed funding can be elusive. But since 2016, the Carolina Angel Network has matched Carolina-connected startups with its national network of accredited investors who are alumni or friends of the University. The result has been a surge of investments in Tar Heel-created companies that are creating new jobs, products and services in North Carolina and beyond.
Innovate Carolina Impact Dashboard Data Sources: Innovate Carolina Startups Database, UNC Office of Technology Commercialization, Association of University Technology Managers; UNC startups employment data (most recent analysis, July 2022) © 2022 Innovate Carolina All Rights Reserved