CED
CED is a Durham, North Carolina nonprofit founded in 1984 that supports high-growth technology and life sciences startups in the Triangle region through founder, investor, and partner communities, the GRO Incubator, and the annual Venture Connect capital summit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CED does
CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, that operates as the central connective hub for the Triangle region's startup ecosystem. The organization supports high-growth technology and life sciences companies through a platform-plus-communities model structured around three primary communities: FORGE (founders and operators), ACCELERATE (investors), and CONNECT (ecosystem partners and corporations). Core programs include the GRO Incubator (a 12-week structured program for early-stage startups culminating in Demo Day), Venture Connect (the annual flagship capital summit), and the Startup TNT Associate Program (a paid student internship pipeline), supplemented by the Strength in Numbers community for female-identifying founders and a Founder-in-Residence advisory bench. CED reports cumulative impact metrics of 9,999 companies supported, $6 billion raised by portfolio companies, and 400+ investors engaged.
CED does not develop proprietary technology products; its technology stack relies on third-party platforms. Kajabi powers community management, membership delivery, and course/program hosting, while a Dealroom integration powers a market intelligence dashboard (cednc.dealroom.co/dashboard) that provides venture and ecosystem analytics. The organization has publicly committed to generating $20 billion in new enterprise value in North Carolina by 2034 and is governed by a board co-chaired by Karl Rectanus (Impact 4 Scale) and Scott Uknes (AgBiome), with Alex Bloom succeeding Kelly Rowell as CEO effective January 1, 2026.
CED's revenue model is diversified across three streams: corporate sponsorships (notably Wells Fargo for the GRO Incubator and firms such as Hutchison PLLC, DesignHammer, EisnerAmper, and Wyrick Robbins for events), foundation grants (e.g., $100,000 from the Regions Foundation in January 2026), and membership fees (e.g., Strength in Numbers at $49/month, with non-member event tickets at $25). Most core programming is offered free to participants. Distribution runs entirely through direct community engagement and event-based programming concentrated in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle, with structured referral pathways through university partners (Duke, NC State, UNC, NC Central, Meredith College) and a recently announced mutual-membership partnership with EO Raleigh/Durham.
CED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CED
- Legal name
- Center for Entrepreneurial Development
- Website
- https://cednc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CED is a Durham, North Carolina nonprofit founded in 1984 that supports high-growth technology and life sciences startups in the Triangle region through founder, investor, and partner communities, the GRO Incubator, and the annual Venture Connect capital summit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorships: CED generates revenue through corporate sponsorships of programs and events. Key sponsors include Wells Fargo (GRO Incubator sponsor), DesignHammer, EisnerAmper, Hutchison PLLC, Wyrick Robbins, and others who sponsor events like Venture Connect and the 40th Birthday Bash.
- Grants: CED receives grant funding from foundations and organizations. Notably received $100,000 Regions Foundation grant benefiting GRO Incubator. Grants support program operations and scholarship funds.
- Membership Fees: CED offers community memberships with mutual discounts with EO Raleigh/Durham partnership. FORGE community offers membership tiers including paid programming like Strength in Numbers at $49/month.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Strength in Numbers membership for female founders and operators |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | 40th Birthday Bash event tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
CED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CED is a nonprofit organization that supports high-growth technology and life science startups in North Carolina through four interconnected communities — FORGE (founders and operators), ACCELERATE (investors), CONNECT (partners), and Venture Connect (annual capital summit). It delivers the 12-week GRO Incubator for early-stage startups, the paid Startup TNT Associate Program for students, the Strength in Numbers community for female-identifying founders, and a Dealroom-powered market intelligence platform for regional ecosystem data.
Product overview
CED (Center for Entrepreneurial Development) is a nonprofit organization driving regional economic growth through a curated platform supporting the North Carolina startup community. The organization operates as a platform-plus-communities model centered around three main communities: FORGE (for founders and operators), ACCELERATE (for investors), and CONNECT (for ecosystem partners). Key programs include the GRO Incubator for early-stage startups, Venture Connect as the flagship capital summit, and the Startup TNT Associate Program connecting students to the ecosystem. Additional offerings include Strength in Numbers for female founders, CEO Dinners for high-level networking, Connect to Capital AMAs for fundraising guidance, and the Dealroom-powered market intelligence platform. The organization is committed to generating $20B in new enterprise value by 2034.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FORGE: A community for founders and operators who are building startups in North Carolina.
- ACCELERATE
- CONNECT
- GRO Incubator
- Venture Connect
- Startup TNT
- Strength in Numbers
Products and services
- FORGE Community for founders and operators building startups in North Carolina, providing mentorship, peer community, CEO dinners, workshops, and direct investor introductions on an application/invitation basis.
- ACCELERATE Community for investors who financially fund startups directly or through CED, providing market intelligence, regional deal flow, and access to portfolio-ready companies in North Carolina.
- CONNECT Community for partner businesses, leaders, and organizations that want to devote time and resources to startups, providing Partner Insights, ecosystem engagement, and student connection pathways.
- GRO Incubator CED's flagship 12-week incubator program that helps early-stage startups sharpen skills through focused curriculum, build cohort connections, and benefit from personalized coaching, culminating in a Demo Day pitch event.
- Venture Connect The Southeast's premier annual capital summit connecting breakthrough North Carolina startups with bold investors through company pitches, reverse pitch sessions, and curated introductions.
- Startup TNT Associate Program Paid internship program connecting Triangle-region university students with North Carolina's entrepreneurial ecosystem through hands-on experience across multiple tracks including Rotational, Finance & Investor Relations, Marketing, and GRO Incubator support.
- Strength in Numbers Subscription community for female-identifying founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem champions in North Carolina, offering quarterly events, workshops, and networking opportunities focused on personal brand development and capital readiness.
- Dealroom powered by CED Market intelligence platform built on Dealroom that provides venture and ecosystem analytics for the North Carolina startup community, serving CED's ACCELERATE investor members and broader ecosystem users.
Quantifiable outcome
- $6B raised by supported companies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CED
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
CED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- EO Raleigh/Durham (Entrepreneurs' Organization)coreStrategic partnership announced October 8, 2025 to accelerate regional economic growth and scale support for founders. Includes mutual membership discounts, coordinated programming, and shared referral model. EO Raleigh/Durham has 18,000+ members globally across 75+ countries. Partnership aims to unlock $20B in regional enterprise value by 2034.
- Hutchison PLLCcoreMulti-year partnership as dedicated sponsor of key programs including Investor Dinner, Strength in Numbers Networking Event, and GRO Demo Day. Firm was founded by Fred Hutchison, also the Founding President of CED.
- DesignHammersupportingMarketing and design sponsor of CED's 40th Birthday Bash celebration.
- EisnerAmpersupportingSponsor of CED's 40th Birthday Bash celebration.
- Wyrick RobbinssupportingSponsor of CED's 40th Birthday Bash celebration.
- Duke UniversitycoreUniversity partner supporting Startup TNT program since its inception. Duke MEM students participate as Startup TNT Associates. CED works with Duke's Innovation & Entrepreneurship program.
- NC State UniversitycoreUniversity partner for Startup TNT program. NC State entrepreneurship students participate as Associates. Joint Biomedical Engineering program students engage with CED.
- UNC Chapel HillcoreUniversity partner for Startup TNT program. Joint Biomedical Engineering program with NC State includes students who engage with CED.
- NC Central UniversitycoreUniversity partner for Startup TNT program. Student associates from NC Central participate in the program.
- Meredith CollegesupportingNewest university partner as of Fall 2025 cohort. Supports Startup TNT program recruitment.
- DealroomsupportingMarket intelligence platform used by CED for Accelerator Market Intel dashboard, providing data and analytics for the startup ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CED social profiles
Digital presenceCED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
CED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CED M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments48 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CED
What does CED do?
CED is a nonprofit organization that supports high-growth technology and life science startups in North Carolina through four interconnected communities — FORGE (founders and operators), ACCELERATE (investors), CONNECT (partners), and Venture Connect (annual capital summit). It delivers the 12-week GRO Incubator for early-stage startups, the paid Startup TNT Associate Program for students, the Strength in Numbers community for female-identifying founders, and a Dealroom-powered market intelligence platform for regional ecosystem data.
Is CED a public or private company?
CED is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CED founded?
CED was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CED based?
CED is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does CED make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are grants and membership Fees.
Does CED have an API?
No public API is recorded for CED.