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Resources for Founders in Greater Charlottesville

Here is a list of organizations, opportunities, and other resources for founders in Greater Charlottesville. Categories are: News & Events, Organizations, Funding, and Government. We'll update it from time to time, so send us suggestions for additions or changes at info@venturecentralva.com. Thanks!


 

News & Events


In any given week, you can find startups in the news for their achievements, and there are many social and educational events for founders. Here are some useful resources to help you figure out what's happening:


 

Organizations


Here are some groups that are working daily to support founders and startups in the Greater Charlottesville area.

  • Venture Central Venture Central supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Central Virginia. We help founders with connections, programs, funding, and spaces.

  • Central Virginia Small Business Development Center CVSBDC has everything you need to grow your business, including training events, as well as business and technical experts to advise you confidentially and at no cost.

  • Charlottesville Business Innovation Council CBIC has a mission to nurture a vibrant technology community by creating opportunities for Charlottesville innovators. They regularly host networking events for founders to make it easy to find your people.

  • Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce They are the area’s "broadest, most diverse network of business, nonprofit and civic organizations." Learn more about their Business Women’s Round Table and the Minority Business Alliance.

  • Community Investment Collaborative CIC is empowering small business for big change. They run training workshops, provide financing for startups, mentoring, and networking.

  • UVA Entrepreneurship This is a great source for learning of the many ways the University of Virginia supports entrepreneurship. Make sure to subscribe to the weekly email update of what's happening for founders at UVA.

  • CvilleBioHub If you're in the life sciences or biotechnology industry, then this is the group for you. They're aiming to double that space in our region by 2030, and they're well on their way.

 

Funding


Startups need funding, right? Here are some local options to explore.

  • CAV Angels CAV Angels is a nonprofit network composed of UVA alumni, faculty, parents, students, and friends of the University. They offer educational and investing memberships and are responsible for raising over $18.5M.

  • Charlottesville Angel Network CAN believes a thriving entrepreneurial culture can be built in Charlottesville and has been named among the most active angel groups in the Southeast Region and the United States.

  • UVA Entrepreneurship Cup The UVA E-Cup is an annual competition that seeks to enrich the area’s entrepreneurial community and is open to all UVA undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

  • UVA Galant Challenge The challenge connects seed and early-stage ventures from the UVA community with potential investors. In 2022, six companies received more than $3M from their panel of investors.

  • UVA LVG Seed Fund The UVA Licensing & Ventures Group has launched two $10M seed funds to support new ventures emerging from the UVA research portfolio.

  • Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation VIPC is a nonprofit organization formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to expand innovation, opportunity, and job creation. They have many funding sources to explore, including Virginia Venture Partners funding, the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund and more.


 

Government

  • City of Charlottesville The Office of Economic Development offers assistance to city startups and businesses through training, funding and other support. Check out their ACE Program, Cville Match, and Minority Business Program.

  • County of Albemarle Albemarle Economic Development supports the development and success of small businesses by creating customized solutions and providing connections to information and resources, including their ENABLE Grant Program and others.


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