Michael Melton

Chapel Hill’s RO-bot is Changing the Game for Automotive Technicians

November 18, 2025 Michael Melton

Dave Sonders was inspired to form his startup after a longtime friend in the car dealership business shared a common problem. That problem is that automotive technicians are required to […]

Wilmington’s Essential Personnel Provides Smarter Systems For Public Safety

October 8, 2025 Michael Melton

When Wilmington firefighters Scott Monroe and Preston Stackhouse realized that traditional HR software couldn’t keep up with the demands of public safety work, they decided to set about building their […]

Charlotte’s Dexit Is Revolutionizing Digital Estate Planning With DEXITPLAN™

October 2, 2025 Michael Melton

A few years ago, Natalia Parker and Tatyana Thurston, who knew each other through their kids’ Parent-Teacher Organization, began talking about a problem few people think about until it’s too […]

Charlotte’s Franzy Is Democratizing The Franchising Market

September 25, 2025 Michael Melton

A few years ago, Alex Smereczniak was trying to franchise a business and realized that the franchising industry had a problem: the middleman. Many prospective franchisees rely on brokers to […]

Durham’s Hive Science Decodes Human Decision-Making For Business Growth

September 15, 2025 Michael Melton

Durham- and Minneapolis-based Hive Science was born from two former US Bank colleagues’ shared vision of applying behavioral science in a practical, impactful way. Co-founders Julie O’Brien, a behavioral scientist, […]

Raleigh’s Placeable Develops Affordable Modular Homes With AI And Robotics

September 4, 2025 Michael Melton

Seasoned software entrepreneur Ed Holloway, who was most recently Founder and CEO of Persistence AI, hopes he’s working on his magnum opus—a final startup tackling some of the largest problems […]

Charlotte’s Sideline Education Offers “Game-First” Education For Kids

September 2, 2025 Michael Melton

Charlotte’s Chris Valada has worked in edtech for 20 years, but always envisioned himself launching a startup. His idea ultimately came to him when he was helping his son with […]

Raleigh’s WeGo Golf Is A Mobile Golf Experience Perfect For Data Collection

August 21, 2025 Michael Melton

Raleigh founder Anthony Franklin was inspired to build his startup by a desire to bond with his son and teach him about business. Franklin’s son is an avid golfer and […]

Triangle-Based Softsellr Improves Tech Sales Through AI And Pack Mentality

July 31, 2025 Michael Melton

Jeff Seymour and Pradeep Bangalore, neighbors-turned-co-founders, are aiming to address one of the biggest challenges in tech sales: making first contact with a potential customer. It’s a pain point Seymour […]

Wake Forest Startup Is Creating AI Avatars For The Future

July 24, 2025 Michael Melton

Jason Clark, founder of Wake Forest-based Craine Technology Labs, envisions a future of agentic AI systems that are more human—one specifically in which AI systems take the form of avatars. […]