You don’t need to be a founder to get involved with the Charlotte startup community. There are tons of opportunities to learn, grow, and connect— from attending events to volunteering and investing!
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Attending an event is one of the easiest ways to get involved with the startup community here in Charlotte. Below, we’ve recommended a few can't-miss events. A full list of upcoming events can be found on our calendar.
This free, quarterly event is an orientation to the entrepreneurial community in Charlotte. We'll give you the scoop on key events/meetups to attend, people, companies, investors, incubators, programs, issues, and more.
PitchBreakfast is a monthly event that provides a safe, supportive environment for founders and aspiring-founders to connect, learn, and grow. Charlotte-area startups give a quick 6-minute pitch and then receive expert feedback, giving founders and audience members an opportunity to learn and improve.
Whether you’re an investor looking for the next big thing or a startup in need of funding, this quarterly networking event brings together founders and investors to connect, share ideas, and learn about new opportunities.
Seed the South is Charlotte’s premier venture capital event. The annual 2-day event brings together founders, funders, and support organizations from across the Southeast. Seed The South aims to unite ecosystem stakeholders to empower emerging talent and ignite innovation in the region.
Many of the local entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) are sustained through the work of volunteers. Volunteers get to learn more about exciting startups, connect with current and future leaders, and make a real impact in the community. We’ve recommended several opportunities below.
PitchBreakfast is an opportunity for local startups to practice their pitch in front of an expert panel and a live audience, receiving valuable feedback before taking their pitch to investors. The monthly event lasts two to three hours and takes place on a Wednesday morning. PitchBreakfast is always looking for volunteers to support in a variety of capacities, if you are interested please send an email to hello@pitchbreakfast.com.
Seed the South is Charlotte’s premier venture capital event, attended by startups, investors, ecosystem partners, and community leaders. It takes quite a team to put together an event of this scale, so Seed the South is always looking for extra hands. Reach out to info@seedthesouth.com to learn more about ways to get involved.
By matching local entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, LaunchCLT provides support throughout the process of developing and scaling a business. LaunchCLT serves no specific industry, but focuses on startups with scalable ideas and the opportunity for high growth. Requirements to become a mentor include a minimum commitment of 1-2 days per month, relevant experience, and a desire to give back. Learn more or apply at: https://launchclt.org/
gener8tor is a national organization hosting startup accelerators in cities across the country. gBetas Charlotte is a free accelerator with one of its core focuses being mentorship.Mentors for the gBeta programs are subject matter experts who are looking to share their knowledge and expertise with early-stage founders. Mentors can begin with just a one-time 2 hour commitment. Learn more and apply at: https://www.gener8tor.com/mentor
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RevTech Labs hosts events and provides resources to service the local FinTech and InsurTech startup communities. Mentors will support their accelerator program, which works with post revenue, post growth FinTechs and InsurTechs.They have multiple options for mentorship types, with varying levels of commitment and flexibility. Learn more and apply at: https://www.revtechlabs.co/about-1
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One of the best ways to get involved with and support the local startup community is by becoming an investor. A prerequisite to participating in many of these investment opportunities is to be an accredited investor. An accredited investor is an individual who has an annual income of $200,000 ($300,000 for joint income) or has a net worth of over $1,000,000, excluding their primary residence. For more details, check out https://www.sec.gov/resources-small-businesses/capital-raising-building-blocks/accredited-investor
There are two primary methods of becoming a startup investor— becoming an angel investor or investing in a venture capital (VC) fund as a limited partner.
Angel investors are individuals or groups of individuals who invest in early stage startups and often personally provide support and connections, in addition to capital. Angel investing provides the opportunity to be very hands-on, if you wish.
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Venture capital investing is done by becoming a limited partner (LP) in a VC fund, pooling your money with other investors. Investments are selected and managed by professionals whose primary goal is to get a financial return for their investors. Venture capital typically aims to fund later stage startups with proven traction.
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