Established in 2006, NC Idea Seed Grant offers early stage companies critical funding they need to scale faster. These funds help thrust companies forward and reduce risk associated with growing startups. NC Idea has awarded over $6.5 million in grants to 148 companies throughout North Carolina.
On May 14th, the winners of the $50,000 NC Idea Grants were announced. Out of 142 applicants, six companies were chosen. We’re proud to announce that out of those six companies, two are from Winston Starts.
“We are confident that our recipients are well on the path to creating a lasting impact on their local communities while strengthening the state’s economy,” NC Idea CEO and President Thom Ruhe said.
The first deserving company is Unbox the Dress , founded in 2016 by Grace Rojek. Unbox the Dress is an online service that allows brides to transform their original wedding dress into family heirlooms and gifts for loved ones. These gifts range from ornaments to christening gowns. When Grace joined Winston Starts early this year, she emphasized her passion about the intersection of handcrafted luxury goods and today’s powerful e-commerce technology. “We are grateful and honored by this major opportunity from NC Idea,” Grace Rojek says.
The second deserving company is ShyftAuto founded by Marcus Aman and Peter Seymour in 2018. ShyftAuto is an automotive retail service app that allows consumers to request on-demand service, pickup and delivery of their vehicle, and track the status of their vehicle as it’s being serviced. The Shyft Auto platform gives the consumer a complete digital experience for vehicle service. When asked for a comment Marcus Aman expressed “We are honored to have such a prestigious award.”
NC Idea also recently selected 16 companies out of 171 that will receive $10,000 Micro Grants. This grant is given to young companies looking to legitimize and grow their idea. In addition to the grant, the chosen companies receive mentorship and programming through NC Idea.
Elevate, another company at Winston Starts, was a winner of this distinguished award. Founded by Mike Schmid in 2019, Elevate provides hyper-customized, 3D-printed insoles that are designed specifically for the user to increase comfort, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Prior to Covid-19, Mike was able to polish and perfect his pitch at our P3 event this past March which hopefully prepared him for his big pitch to NC Idea.
Overall, we are grateful for all that NC Idea provides to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Carolina. We are proud of all the applicants and winners of both the NC Idea Seed Grant as well as the NC Idea Micro Grant. Betsy Brown, Director of Winston Starts concludes with,
“We are passionate about supporting our startups and it is wonderful to see the support here in the state with NC Idea awarding grants to these entrepreneurs. This will help them build traction and to scale their businesses.”