Western Region

Regional Overview

Asheville, surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, is known for tourism, but the Western region also thrives in entrepreneurship, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and fermentation technologies. With the recent formations of the Dogwood Health Trust and the Pisgah Venture Capital Fund, future investments in healthcare innovations are going to transform the region.

Western Region Counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey

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.

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.

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 monetary awards.

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

Regional Assistance Period: Mar–May 2024

March 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #1
April 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #2
April 2024 Pitch Coach Individual Venture Team Sessions
May 2024 Networking and Mentoring Session #3
May 2024 Judging Phase – Regional (Private meeting with pitches to judges)
May 2024 Regional Venture Pitch Showcase and Winner Reveal (Public event)

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.