GrepBeat

Duke-Based Startup Aims To Reduce Screen Time With A Wristband

March 5, 2026 Temiloluwa Alagbe

Duke University students Sean Fang and Cole Bonawitz met during their freshman orientation in 2024. Placed in the same group for a pre-semester program, the two embarked on a week-long […]

The Side Quest: Pete McEntegart AKA Pete Smack

March 5, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

Welcome back to GrepBeat’s “The Side Quest!” Our brand new series hosted by the GrepBeat Godfather Joe Colopy and Sonali Sanjay of Primordial Ventures. This show chats all things NC Tech, and each week features […]

In The Soup: Splitting Equity Between Cofounders

March 4, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

Happy In The Soup 🍲 Wednesday! Hosts Jenn Summe and Melissa Crosby are joined by Anna Tharrington of Hutchison Law and Cameron Long of Virnika to talk about a topic that can be […]

Plantd’s Nathan Silvernail On The Tech & Strategy Behind Carbon-Negative Building Materials

March 3, 2026 David Schwartz

When GrepBeat first covered Plantd in the fall of 2021, the startup was in the prototyping phase, developing hemp-based building materials at a Durham lab and eyeing a 2023 launch. […]

Monday Mix: LiLa, FinTech Awards, and One Million Cups

March 2, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

Start your week off right by tuning into your curated Monday Mix: a look at the week ahead in GrepBeat and the North Carolina tech communities. This show is a part […]

Friday Fix: The Download, Rewarded Interest, and Smashing Boxes

February 27, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

We cover as much startup- and tech-related content as we can here at GrepBeat.com—but we know you can’t always catch it all in the course of your week. On the Friday […]

Durham’s Smashing Boxes Announces “Human-First” Evolution For The AI Era

February 26, 2026 David Schwartz

Today, Durham-based Smashing Boxes is announcing a “new era in the age of AI.” And they’re doing it behind the slogan, “We are your humans.” For those who may not […]

Durham’s Rewarded Interest Puts Consumers in Control of Their Data

February 26, 2026 Michael Melton

Durham-based startup Rewarded Interest is aiming to change how consumers engage with third-party tracking pop-ups in their browsers. The startup is tackling the problem through its flagship Chrome extension (also […]

The Side Quest: Krista Covey of First Flight Venture Center

February 26, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

In The Soup: Building an Effective Team in Your Early Days

February 25, 2026 Katelyn Crespo

Happy In The Soup 🍲 Wednesday! Hosts Jenn Summe and Melissa Crosby are joined by Adam Schultz of Mindr and Runbin Dong of Scale Social to chat all about what […]