On September 4, 2014, Dr. Ted Zoller with Kenan-Flagler Business School and Dina Mills of Launch Chapel Hill gave an update on Launch, the accelerator located on Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill.

2. Launch
Accelerator

3. Stakeholders
Financial Partners
UNC
Town of Chapel Hill
Orange County
Becker Family
Resource Partners
Local Law Firms, Accounting Firms, PR Agencies,
Marketing Firms, and Departments across UNC and
even Duke University
Community
Triangle Office Equipment, SCORE, Friends of the
Downtown, Local Serial Entrepreneurs, Angels,
Investors

4. Goals
• Promote economic development
in Chapel Hill & RTP
• Create outlet for graduates of
UNC entrepreneurship programs
• Build/retain an accessible network
of experienced entrepreneurs to
engage in UNC entrepreneurship
curriculum (building the stack)
• Extend UNC’s commitment to
innovation to the broader
community
• Help raise RTP region’s profile as a
leading start-up hub

5. Program Ingredients
• 2 Cohorts per year (January & July)
• Entrepreneurs in Residence
• Mentor Network
• Financial, Accounting, Legal, Marketing experts for Lunch n
Learns and Guru Hours
• Speaker Series
• Networking events – 1mc, mixers, pitch sessions, free lunch
fridays
• Funding Assistance
• Co-working space – 3500 sq. ft. of hot desks, (shared offices)
and dedicated offices

6. Our Ventures
Cohort alpha:
Cohort 1:

7. Cohort 2:

8. Key Metrics
• 34 Companies served to Date:
– 18 in house, 16 have moved out of Launch
4 in CH offices, 5 in area co-working spaces, a few have moved out of
area and a few back into home offices. None have completely ceased
operation.
– Collectively have raised over $1.5 million in early stage
funding and over $2 million in venture funding
– Job creation – early stage – Keona- grown from 1 to 8 FTE,
Impulsonic 2 to 6 FTE, with most utilizing part-time or
interns

9. Key Metrics
• Created Community of Entrepreneurs – 1 Million
Cups, Triangle Entrepreneurship Week, Start Up
Weekend, etc
• Strengthen Town-Gown relationships – students
and classes working with Community
entrepreneurs, and vice versa
• Raising Chapel Hill’s profile as a place for Start-ups
– local, regional and national press