Celebrating Over a Decade of Innovation: NC TECH’s Top Tech Startups to Watch
Since 2014, NC TECH has shined a spotlight on emerging companies through its Top Tech Startups to Watch award category as part of the annual NC TECH Awards. Over the past decade, more than 100 startups have been recognized for their innovation, growth potential, and impact on North Carolina’s tech ecosystem.
This award honors early-stage tech companies founded in North Carolina within the past four years that have demonstrated a solid foundation for success—whether through securing funding, developing a breakthrough product, attracting customers, or scaling operations.
Some past winners have gone on to raise significant capital, expand nationally, go public, or be acquired. Others have pivoted or closed, as is common in the startup journey. Regardless of outcome, each company named a “Startup to Watch" represents the entrepreneurial spirit and creative energy driving the state’s tech sector forward.
Check out the full list of 100+ past winners below.
Applications are open for the 2025 NC TECH Awards through July 25. Click here to learn more and submit your application.
**Please note that we did our best to provide the most up to date information for the startups including current name, website and acquiring company. If edits are requested, please email Michelle@nctech.org
TECH STARTUP WINNERS
2024 Winners
Aktiga (2024) Asheville https://aktiga.com/
Artemis Immersive (2024) Wilmington https://artemisimmersive.com/
Bionic Health (2024) Durham https://www.bionichealth.com/
Bristles AI (2024) Durham https://www.bristles.ai/
Epic Hire (2024) Raleigh https://epichire.com/
Fashivly (2024) Charlotte https://fashivly.com/
Lumos Technologies (2024) Wilmington https://lumosdata.com/
Nuream, Inc. (2024) Wilmington https://nuream.com/
Security Innovations Group (2024) Washington https://www.get-sig.com/
Theralinq (2024) Raleigh https://www.theralinq.com/
2023 Winners
Active Defender (2023) Carthage https://active-defender.com/
FemHealth Insights (2023) Raleigh https://www.femhealthinsights.com/
InStryde (2023) Winston-Salem https://getinstryde.com/
Launch Labs (2023) Chapel Hill https://www.launchlabs.ai/
Leantime (2023) Charlotte https://leantime.io/
Ohanafy (2023) Wilmington https://www.ohanafy.ai/
Peoplelogic (2023) Durham https://peoplelogic.ai/
Social Cascade (2023) Raleigh https://www.socialcascade.co/
TRAKID (2023) Raleigh https://www.cheqrboard.com/
TSV Analytics (2023) Raleigh https://tsvanalytics.com/
2022 Winners
Clinispan Health (2022) Durham https://www.clinispanhealth.com/
Edison Marks (2022) Asheville https://edisonmarks.com/
Essential Personnel (2022) Wilmington https://www.essper.com/
FastQSR LLC (2022) Louisburg https://fastcstore.com/
Flyp. (2022) Charlotte
Klearly (2022) Durham https://www.klearly.com/
Simulations Plus (Formerly Pro-ficiency) (2022) Raleigh https://www.simulations-plus.com/software/csmc/
Rownd (2022) Raleigh https://rownd.com/
Salem Cyber (2022) Winston-Salem https://www.salemcyber.com/
Truentity (2022) Raleigh https://truentity.health/
2021 Winners
TIFIN Give (Formerly Amicus.io) (2021) Boulder, CO https://tifin.com/product/wealth//
Anduin (2021) https://www.anduin.ai/
Courtroom 5 (2021) Durham https://courtroom5.com/
EDJX (2021) Raleigh https://edjx.io/
Floodlight Software (2021) Cary https://floodlightsoft.com/
Gemelli BioTech (2021) Raleigh https://www.gemellibiotech.com/
Hybrid Athlete Foundation (2021) Wilmington https://hybridaf.com/
Levitate (2021) Raleigh https://www.levitate.ai/
Seguno Software (2021) Durham https://www.seguno.com/
TriggerMesh (2021) Apex https://www.triggermesh.com/
2020 Winners
374 Water (2020) Morrisville https://www.374water.com/
Blue Recruit (2020) Raleigh https://bluerecruit.us/
Catapult HQ (2020) Charlotte https://catapulthq.com/
Ecobot (2020) Asheville https://ecobot.com/
Fathom Science (2020) Raleigh http://fathomscience.com/
MuukLabs (2020) Raleigh https://muuktest.com/
OpiAid (2020) Wilmington https://opiaid.tech/
Participate (2020) Chapel Hill https://www.participate.com/
Shyft Auto (2020) https://www.shyftauto.com/
2019 Winners
Aeva Labs (2019)
Allstacks (2019) Raleigh https://www.allstacks.com/
Libsyn (Formerly Auxbus) (2019) Pittsburgh https://libsyn.com/
Green Stream Technologies (2019) Wake Forest https://www.greenstream.com/
Kaleido (2019) Raleigh https://www.kaleido.io/
PetScreening (2019) Mooresville https://www.petscreening.com/
Swell Systems (2019) Wilmington https://swellsystem.com/
S&P Global (Formerly The Climate Service) (2019) New York, NY https://www.spglobal.com/esg/solutions/climanomics
Threat Sketch (2019) Winston-Salem
Viibrant (2019) Carrboro https://viibrant.com/
2018 Winners
Constellation Digital Partners (2018) Raleigh https://constellation.coop/
Dais X (2018) Greensboro
Howso (Formerly Diverplane Corporation) (2018) Raleigh https://www.howso.com/
Fluree (2018) Winston-Salem https://flur.ee/
HaystackCRM (2018) Greensboro https://www.haystackcrm.com/
Hearful (2018) Chapel Hill https://www.hearfulhub.com/
Map My Customers (2018) Cary https://mapmycustomers.com/
myBeeHyve (2018) Wilmington
Presidio (Formerly ROVE) (2018) New York, NY https://www.presidio.com/
VitalFlo (2018) Raleigh https://www.vitalflohealth.com/
2017 Winners
Brilliant Sole (2017) Wilmington https://brilliantsole.com/
BruVue (2017) Raleigh
CloudGenera (2017) Charlotte https://go.cloudgenera.com/
Cultivate (2017) Durham
Ekos Brewmaster (2017) Charlotte https://www.goekos.com/
Sparq (Formerly Kingsmen Software) (2017) Atlanta, GA https://www.teamsparq.com/
ProAxion (2017) Cary https://proaxion.io/
Quantworks, Inc. (2017) Durham https://www.quantworks.com/
Reveal Mobile (2017) Raleigh https://revealmobile.com/
Voxelight LLC (2017) Raleigh
2016 Winners
Hireology (Formerly EmployUs) (2016) Chicago https://www.linkedin.com/company/hireology/
Lumeris (Formerly Forecast Health) (2016) Durham https://www.lumeris.com/
Lapetus Solutions, Inc. (2016) Wilmington https://lapetussolutions.com/
Instructure (formerly Lea(R)n) (2016) Salt Lake City, UT https://www.instructure.com/
Likeli (2016) Wilmington
Workdove (Formerly Performance Culture, Inc.) (2016) Durham https://workdove.com/
Sprout (Formerly Smart Metals Recycling) (2016) Charlotte https://www.sproutup.com/
Stealz, Inc. (2016) Raleigh
SZL.IT Inc. (2016) Durham
Undercover Colors (2016) Raleigh
2015 Winners
Adwerx (2015) Durham https://www.adwerx.com/
Accenture (Formerly CoreCompete) (2015) Dublin, Ireland https://www.accenture.com/us-en
Clearlake Capital Group (Formerly Ecomdash) (2015) Santa Monica, CA https://clearlake.com/
Koolbridge Solar (2015) Wilmington https://koolbridge.com/
Pendo (2015) Raleigh https://www.pendo.io/
PredictifyMe (2015) Raleigh
Reveal Mobile (2015) Raleigh https://revealmobile.com/
Surgilum (2015) Wilmington https://surgilum.com/
Tiger Eye Sensor (2015) Clayton
Tourpedo (2015) Chicago https://abtest-homepage-copy--kohv7.netlify.app/about/
2014 Winners
BioMason (2014) Durham https://biomason.com/
Blue Gas Marine (2014) Apex https://bluegasmarine.com/who-we-are/
Boss Key Productions (2014) Raleigh
DocsInk (2014) Wrightsville Beach https://docsink.com/
NCino (2014) Wilmington https://www.ncino.com/
Next Glass (2014) Wilmington https://www.nextglass.co/
Organic Transit (2014) Durham https://organictransit.com/
Tapity (2014) Charlotte
Validic (2014) Durham https://www.validic.com/
OSG (Formerly Windsor Circle) (2014) Ridgefield Park, NJ https://osgconnect.com/
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