Call for Entrepreneurs! The RAISE Forum Returns in April at Emory
ATLANTA (Feb.1, 2017) – The fourth semi-annual RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum, presented by Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, is now accepting applicants. The unique event, set for Friday, April 28 at Emory, brings together startups and investors from across the Southeast with the goal of closing the region’s funding gap at higher levels of funding.
Call for Startups
The Forum is accepting applications from post-revenue startups based in the Southeast (Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina) seeking funding between $1 million and $5 million. Eight to 10 startups will be selected to present to active investors at the April event. To be considered as a presenting startup, the company must agree to remain in the Southeast for five years, as well as participate in a short training afternoon which will prepare applicants for investor presentations. Applications will close March 15.
“The Forum stresses entrepreneurial collaboration over competition in the Southeast and encourages regional business by fostering Southern entrepreneurship,” explains RAISE Forum Founder Barry Etra. “Our highly disciplined approach to matching investors with startups ensures the Forum’s continued success, which to date boasts an overall funding rate of over 20 percent of applicants.”
Most recently, the Forum last November resulted in nearly $1.3 million [BB1] total in funding for three of the eight selected startups: KIYATEC (Greenville, S.C.), OB Medical (Newberry, Fla.) and Kredible (Atlanta, Ga.). To apply to present during RAISE Forum, startups should visit www.raiseforum.com/entrepreneurs
“The success of the first three RAISE Forums shows the need for funding events in the Southeast,” says Charlie Goetz, Distinguished Lecturer at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. “We are excited to continue our support of Southern entrepreneurship through partnering with the RAISE Forum.”
Investor and Community Support
Current investor support for the Forum comes from across the region, with investors from Alder Asset Management, BIP Capital, Atlanta Tech Angels, UCAN, AIM Group and more having attended the event.
Advisory support includes a mix of the region’s most influential startup ecosystem influencers and investors, including:
Charlie Brock, Launch Tennessee
Harold Brown, Atlanta Tech Angels, ATDC
Bob Crutchfield, Harbert Ventures
Eloisa Klementich, Invest Atlanta
Eric Dobson, Angel Capital Group
Ed Rieker, 151 Locust
Additional support comes from Georgia Bio and other influential Southeastern startup incubators and influencers, as well as sponsors. A recent investor notes of Raise Forum, “In my 30 years of investing in startups, your process is the most organized and efficient avenue for identifying and learning about potential investments I've ever been involved. [Raise Forum] should be proud.”
Active investors or regional organizations interested in supporting the Forum, should visit www.raiseforum.com/investors to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and registration.
