The southeast is 30% of the population and economic activity in the US, with positive demographic trends (both organic and with net inward migration from other states), and above-average rates of economic growth. It’s also a great place to live!
Yet the southeast has not historically been known for its tech scene. That is changing – dramatically. With the emergence of unicorns and mega-acquisitions in Atlanta, VCs moving en masse to Miami, new campuses from Apple and Google in the Raleigh/Durham area, and many more organic trends that don’t make national headlines – from innovation at Furman to unicorns in Greenville to tech communities in Charleston to … – the southeast’s tech scene is advancing rapidly.
Despite this, sources of investment for tech companies remains limited. Few VCs spend substantial time here; even fewer are based or engage much time here. Early-stage capital is becoming more available, but it remains a challenge for entrepreneurs to find local risk-tolerant investors.
As a result, investors enjoy a fairer balance of risk and reward than in some other places. Uncapped SAFEs are rare here!