It's Suzanne Blake in your inboxes again, as today is my (monthly) turn to guest-write the newsletter as GrepBeat's lead staff writer. It's also my turn to remind you that our inaugural tech conference Grep-a-palooza is only one week away!
Next Thursday, the full-day conference focusing on early stage tech startups will be in full swing at the Durham Convention Center, and we can't wait to see you there. If you haven't already, be sure to get your tickets here.
And remember, you do not have to attend the full-day event to come to the After-Party at 4 p.m. at Bull McCabe's. (You just won't receive free drink tickets like Grep-a-palooza attendees.) Special thanks as always to our wonderful Grep-a-palooza Event Sponsors ExtensisHR, Robinson Bradshaw, Hughes Pittman, Wyrick Robbins andDualboot, and the After-Party sponsor Michael Best & Friedrich.
Get Outdoors
For all outdoor/hunting/fishing enthusiasts, Buddy Outdoors is one startup you don't want to miss reading about. By signing up for a subscription, you can receive a box full of hunting or fishing gear catered to your exact preference and location every month or quarter. Buddy Outdoors is also proving there are benefits to companies having built a community in the Triangle, even if they are not officially HQ'd here. The Dallas-based startup now has a space in Raleigh Founded under Chief Growth Officer Adam Tury, who was an early presence at Durham's ArchiveSocial and Raleigh-based FilterEasy (now Second Nature). Get the full scoop here.
Veteran Founders
Rob Thelen, the CEO and Founder of Durham-based authenticity tech startup Rownd, compares the startup life to basic training. Having served in the Air Force for several years, he should know: the startup grind can be horrible most days, but when you look back, he says, you realize it was also kind of fun. However, without the support of others going through it too, it's easy to feel alone.
That is in part why Bunker Labs hosted a national showcase last night. The event took place in 23 cities—including Raleigh—and saw 400 veteran or military spouse entrepreneurs nationwide share their stories with their communities. The Raleigh event was held at WeWork and saw founders from a variety of sectors connect both with each other and the broader entrepreneurial community. Read our full event coverage here.
Future Of Data
Here's a jarring fact: by 2060, humans will have to cover up the entire surface of the planet with data storage centers if they continue at current rates of global data storage generation. That is, if companies don't implement a solution like DNAli Data Technologies, which we featured today.
DNAli is a Raleigh-based startup that began from research at NC State and quickly became a growing business working to serve companies with large data storage needs. Its co-founder Kyle Tomek said they can take a data storage facility that is a million square feet and put it into something the size of your pinky all by using DNA molecules. Read more about DNAli and its potentially game-changing technology in our feature story.
A New Unicorn
After closing on a $70 million Series C round today, Morrisville-based cybersecurity startup JupiterOne can officially claim unicorn status. Having raised more than $119 million since 2020 and earning an evaluation of over $1 billion, JupiterOne joins the likes of other North Carolina companies Epic Games, AvidXchange, Prometheus Group, Pendo and nCino.
The type of growth JupiterOne went through to get here only happened over the past few years. In fact, just two years ago, the now-150-employee company only had 17 workers. Last year, we named JupiterOne to our inaugural Startups To Watch list, which we limited to startups who were still at less than $5M in ARR (which they were rapidly zipping past at the speed of light). Read more about JupiterOne's fundraise and jump to unicorn status from TBJ and TechWire.
Ranking The Triangle
This week, the Triangle came in 16th among best startup hubs in the nation, according to an annual report by StartupBlink. Globally, it was the 41st-best startup ecosystem, beating nearby cities Charlotte and Wilmington, which came in at 73 and 79.
Similarly, the Triangle beat out many other cities when it came to a study from WalletHub on the best areas for students to find summer employment. Of 183 cities nationwide, Raleigh was the 37th-best city to seek summer employment, and 34th overall in terms of quality of the youth job market. WRAL TechWire has the full details here.
More Jobs
Speaking of jobs, the NC TECH Association is holding a virtual tech job expo on June 8 (next Wednesday) from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Job seekers will be able to chat with employers live over chat and video. The expo will have at least 20 employers from companies like Credit Suisse, MetLife, LexisNexis, Relias and many more. Several are even planning to conduct live interviews at the event, so you don't want to miss it.
Some Time Abroad
Chapel Hill-based edtech Terra Dotta just came out with the results of its international engagement study yesterday. After surveying more than 120 global education professionals, the company found that global engagement is vital to universities. In fact, 78 percent of respondents said global engagement is strategically important to their institutions with 72 percent saying it is a key factor in the student experience.
You can read through the full report here, but here are some post-Covid highlights: study abroad interest is soaring at most universities (59 percent), as are international student applications (at 45 percent of institutions).
Dirty Dancing
While Cary-based Epic Games has been in the news recently for its dispute with Google over its Bandcamp acquisition, the video game maker has found itself in the headlines once again. This time in a TBJ article detailing a lawsuit filed by California-based choreographer Kyle Hanagami alleging Epic copied his dance moves in Fortnite, ultimately violating copyright laws. Epic has fired back, saying that Congress does not protect individual dance steps or simple routines and to do so would deprive well-known works like Dirty Dancing of its iconic Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dance scene. TBJ has the full scoop of the ensuing legal battle here.
Build Great Software
Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Dualboot is a business and software development company. Their clients include tech and non-tech founders as well as Fortune 500 companies, so they can start small or scale fast depending on what you need. Every client is assigned a U.S.-based Product Director with at least 10 years experience bringing products to market, and they can manage the entire development process. They focus on how the software fits into your company to drive revenue and build the business. At Dualboot, they don’t just write your software—they help you grow your business. Intrigued? Email them here.
Extra Bit
Calling all founders! Applications for CED's GRO Incubator are open! The 12-week online incubator begins in July and is aimed at high-growth, high-impact tech companies. All cohort companies will receive weekly classes with top speakers, one-on-one coaching from industry leaders and more.
Make sure to apply by June 17. The full details are here.
To see all posted jobs, go to CronJobs. If you'd like your company to be listed, tell us at cronjobs@grepbeat.com and we'll do our best.
Guess where Pete is and (maybe) win a GrepBeat pint glass!*
This week's (return) winner is Andy Smith, who correctly identified Pete's location as Elmo's on Durham's Ninth Street. Andy also won last June; we applaud his loyalty and geographical acumen. Here's what he has to say for (and about) himself: "Andy is a web developer with Duke University's Office of Information Technology, where he chiefly supports the website needs of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. Apart from bending content management systems to his will, Andy enjoys spending time with his family, touring his hometown of Carrboro in thread-bare Altras, and relaxing on the porch with a tasty IPA served in a frosty pint glass." We're glad that we can add to your pint glass collection, Andy!
Any news we should know? Hit "reply" or send it to news@grepbeat.com.
