The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Since 1985, the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC-Chapel Hill (the “Institute”) has encouraged cooperative efforts among privately owned businesses, higher education, and government.  Current programmatic goals center on helping innovative entrepreneurs, supporting North Carolina economic development, and building bridges with other educational institutions for research activities.  Specifically, the Institute aims to convert University research and development into commercially viable enterprises; engage a diverse set of inventors and innovators throughout North Carolina to support their commercialization efforts; and create a pipeline between emerging high-growth startups and potential funding sources.

Technology Commercialization Carolina (TCC) is a new, UNC-Chapel Hill driven, multi-institution, technology commercialization center that covers commercialization and entrepreneurship training; early stage venture launch (including Technology Readiness Levels 3-6); incubation; and funding.  With EDA funds, along with matching funds from the Institute, TCC will fill gaps in the existing innovation ecosystem, bring UNC’s technology commercialization assets to bear across North Carolina, and make key connections across the university and state to support technology innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship.  TCC will increase the volume and quantity of high-growth startups to drive job and value creation in North Carolina.  Additionally, the Institute, in partnership with Carolina Kickstart, can offer further educational opportunities for entrepreneurs throughout the North Carolina Research Triangle including providing internet access to workshops and seminars.