Southeastern Region

Regional Overview

The Southeastern Region is home to an impressive clinical research industry cluster, strong assets for marine biotechnology commercialization, and significant industrial biotechnology opportunities, such as energy/fuel, derived from biomass production and from waste streams of industrial, agricultural, marine, and municipal processes. The Southeastern Office leads economic development efforts to strengthen and grow these biotech subsectors throughout the region.

Southeastern Region Counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Hoke, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland

Benefits

The NC BIOTECH Venture Challenge benefits for the selected finalists include the following:

A 2-month period of intense mentoring assistance and networking opportunities.
Public and private events to enhance our connected networks of entrepreneurs, investors, and others in the region and beyond, especially as they relate to biotech innovation and commercialization.
Targeted assistance from the NC Biotechnology Center Life Science Intelligence team--e.g., industry and market research.
UNCW CIE Tenancy: For the venture winning the top award, UNC Wilmington will offer a one year co-working tenancy at the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This benefit includes 24-hour card-key access for two members of the winning team to use the co-working space, meeting rooms, equipment, mail services, and media team.

A pitch challenge at the end of the assistance process, which will yield significant monetary awards, in addition to the invaluable mentoring and networking each venture will experience during the assistance phase.
Monetary Awards Totaling $40,000: Top Award, $20,000; Second and Third Awards, $10,000 each.
Promotion in the region and beyond of our impressive community of biotech innovators, entrepreneurs, and ventures.

PRE-VENTURE TRACK: For 2024, the Southeastern Region is piloting a "Pre-Venture Track" which includes university researchers with commercializable technologies with the goal of helping move those technologies closer to commercialization through participating in the challenge. These researchers will benefit from the same mentoring and pitch coaching as the Venture participants. Additionally, the researchers will receive Monetary Awards Totaling $40,000: Top Award, $20,000; Second and Third Awards, $10,000 each.

Total Monetary Awards in Southeastern North Carolina: $80,000

Statewide Challenge: The winner from each of the 5 regional challenges will continue to the statewide challenge for additional mentoring assistance, NC Biotechnology Center Life Science Intelligence team support, promotion, public appearances, and additional monetary awards totaling $100,000 for total statewide awards of $340,000 in non-dilutive funding for 18 North Carolina Life Sciences ventures and technologies.

Mentoring, Networking, and Awards Events

Because building professional networks to strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem is critical to venture success, selected finalists and mentors will be expected to attend the following events:

March 2024 Kickoff Celebration – Regional (All applicants, mentors, presenters, others)
March 18, 2024 Notifications to Candidates and Selected Finalists

Regional Assistance Period: Mar–May 2024

- March 26, 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #1
- April 16, 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #2
- April 2024 Pitch Coach Individual Venture Team Sessions
- May 7, 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #3
- May 21-22, 2024 Judging Phase – Regional (Private meeting with pitches to judges)
- May 23, 2024 Southeastern Venture Pitch Finals and Regional Biotech Showcase (Public event at UNC Wilmington Lumina Theater)

*REGISTER HERE to hear the Venture Pitches and award winners, as we celebrate the region's life sciences innovation ecosystem.

The public Southeastern Venture Pitch Finals and Regional Biotech Showcase event will offer a snapshot showcase of the local biotech/life sciences industry and ecosystem in the region.

Speakers and topics will include the following:

· Southeastern Regional Biotech/Life Sciences/Clinical Research Industry Report

Crystal Morphis, Creative Economic Development Consulting

· Southeastern Regional Biomanufacturing Workforce Development Initiative Key Takeaways

Ted Abernathy, Economic Leadership

· Southeastern Industry Panel

Leadership from Alcami (Katherin Schlipp, President Lab Services), Frontier Scientific Solutions (Michael Braddock, CRO), Isosceles Pharma (Brett Lanier, CEO)

· NC BIOTECH Venture Challenge Pitch Finals and Award Announcements

(which will include the six venture and pre-venture teams presenting their 2-minute pitches)

The winner from each of the five regional challenges will continue to the statewide challenge for additional mentoring assistance, NC Biotechnology Center Life Science Intelligence team support, promotion, public appearance, and monetary awards.

Statewide Assistance Period: June 2024

- June 2024 Mentor Team Meetings and Training Sessions
- June 27, 2024 Statewide Judging Phase (private meeting with pitches to judges)
- June 27, 2024 Statewide Finals Venture Pitch Showcase and Winner Reveal at Triad BioNight

Round 1 Regional Finalists

Local entrepreneurial community leaders--such as entrepreneurs, business service providers, investors, company leaders, innovators, university partners, and others--selected the following ventures as finalists for this challenge. The winner from each of the 5 regional challenges will continue to the statewide challenge for additional mentoring assistance, NC Biotechnology Center Life Science Intelligence team support, promotion, public appearances, and monetary awards.

The "Pre-Venture Track" in Southeastern NC includes these UNC Wilmington researchers:

Dr. Joseph Covi (Zooplankton Toxicology Kit), Dr. Chris Halkides (New Antifungals), and Dr. Ying Wang (Long-lasting Universal Flu Vaccine).

We heard the Venture Pitches and celebrated the region's life sciences innovation ecosystem at the Southeastern Venture Pitch Finals and Regional Biotech Showcase May 23, 2024 in Wilmington.

**Congratulations to Dr. Ying Wang for winning the Pre-Venture Track Top Award and to Rob Cooley and Nuream for winning the Venture Track Top Award. Next, Rob will deliver his pitch to the state-level judges for additional monetary awards at the NC BIOTECH Venture Challenge State Awards, part of Triad BioNight 2024 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC June 27, 2024.