There’s a lot going on. Upcoming conferences, registration deadlines, pitch events, the ACC Tournament, a “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse... the theatrical release of the new Soderbergh movie, the 1,755th birthday of the actual Saint Nick…. Anyway, keep an eye on our calendar so you don’t miss the things.
Once upon a time in autumn, Teddy Fitzgibbons noticed four gutter-cleaning businesses on the same street. He noted that he wouldn’t have hired his own if he’d known a neighbor had already identified a business they liked and trusted—and from that thought, StreetFair was born.
This Charlotte-based startup, which recently expanded services to Raleigh, enables users to “unlock” their neighborhoods and browse ~70 types of home services. Service providers are ranked and reviewed, not by the general online public (or those nefarious crooks manipulating power-washing markets and whatnot) but by neighbors. Additionally, users can see what upcoming services are occurring nearby and “join in,” at times for group discounts.
Since entering the transfer portal some time ago, serial entrepreneur Scot Wingo has been keeping busy—not only with assorted Tweener-related projects, but with building a “mystery startup.” This morning, Scot pulled back the curtain on said startup: It’s called ReFiBuy, and it’s emerging from stealth mode with $1.7M in funding.
Co-founded by Scot and a team of ChannelAdvisor fellas—Cameron Bowe (ReFiBuy’s CTO), Derek Conlin (COO), and James Frawley (CAIO? Chief AI Officer, at any rate)—ReFiBuy is an AI-powered e-commerce company that will build digital agents to help retailers and brands problem-solve. The name is a reference to consumers’ “research, find, and buy” cycles.
In case you missed it in our Wilmington newsletter yesterday (*throws 🦔Hedgehog of Shame🦔*), NC IDEA announced this week that it has awarded $1.7M in grants to entrepreneurial support organizations and growth-oriented startups across the state.
Over $1.2M of this total is “earmarked to address the needs of rural entrepreneurs.” Overall, the $1.7M was spread across 18 ECOSYSTEM grants (designed to “identify and support partner organizations” boosting NC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem) and 11 Rural Imapct grants.
See more on the recipients and broader initiative here.
First in Flight
Now and then we must puff ourselves up and remember that were it not for our humble state, humankind may never have achieved modern air travel. I mean… probably would have. But thanks to Wilbur and Orville, we’ll never know.
At any rate, this is more manufacturing than tech news, but NC is poised to continue leading the way in aero-stuff following GE Aerospace’s announcement that it’s investing $100M across the state—including $16M for “engine assembly upgrades” at its Durham plant. The move is part of an effort toward “scaling technologies htat will truly define the future of flight.”
In other news concerning aerospace support (among other things), N&O reported yesterday that Raleigh has edged out Beaverton, Oregon as the chosen site for tech firm Ralliant’s new HQ. The company’s products will “center on testing, sensors and subsystems for aerospace and defense,” with Raleigh jobs covering finance, HR, IT support, and more.
Under a state job development investment grant, Ralliant has committed to hiring Raleigh workers (an exceedingly random nine of whom can be remote)—at a minimum salary of $170,500—by 2029.
Quick heads up here on behalf of our friends over at Innovate Charlotte that founders have until March 31st to apply to take part in “The Big Pitch” at the Seed The South Capital Summit this May. Tech startups will be vying for up to $100K in investment from the Charlotte Fund, as well as a chance to compete at the Startup World Cup in San Francisco.
Details and applications here (open to tech startups across the Southeast, pre-series A with < $5M raised).
In The Soup
This week’s In The Soup episode marked a season finale. You shall be lost in a harsh wilderness with no soup for an extremely terminable offseason before the program returns on April 4th. But before you face this trial, catch this conversation between co-hosts Jenn Summe (Primordial) and Melissa Crosby (Colopy Ventures) and guest Kristina Montague.
As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at The JumpFund (an angel fund comprised of over 50 women investors) and the author of “Jump In: Women Investing in Women, Growing Our Capital and Impact,” Kristina was the ideal guest with whom to celebrate Women’s History Month and its theme: educating and inspiring women in the next generation.
As always, there are also some fun opening notes, this time on girl scout origins and working moms. Listen and subscribe here.
