Charlotte Launch

The Charlotte Launch customer discovery program, relaunching in Fall 2024, is for early-stage, innovation-driven startups in the Charlotte region. The curriculum takes early-stage entrepreneurs through customer discovery and business model generation activities modeled after the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps). The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation operates a NSF I-Corps Site for university technology commercialization and is trained to offer the curriculum.

Charlotte Launch is designed to succeed at the most critical phase of commercializing an innovation – the opportunity assessment – through customer discovery. Participants learn the most feasible business model that provides the best opportunity to accelerate profitable commercialization of their innovation. Charlotte Launch is best described as a boot-camp for innovators and is designed to challenge you at every turn.

Since its inception in 2017, the Charlotte Launch program has served over 130 Charlotte and western Carolina companies.

Charlotte Launch culminates in the Charlotte Venture Challenge, a half day event with an evening reception that includes startup pitches, speakers, and networking with entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives and other community stakeholders.