The 14^th semi-annual RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum is scheduled for Friday, May 10. Supported by The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, this invitation-only event connects startups and top-tier investors from across the Southeast to foster collaboration within the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and ensure the best startups can stay local.

The Forum is now accepting applications from post-revenue startups based in the Southeast seeking funding between $500,000 and $5 million. Seven startups are selected for each forum to present to accredited investors actively looking to invest in early-stage companies. To be considered as a presenting startup, a company must have revenue and participate in a short, complimentary training session to better prepare applicants for investor presentations. Startups in any field are encouraged to apply to present at the Forum by visiting www.raiseforum.com/entrepreneurs. Applications will close Friday, March 31.

“Raise Forum’s unique approach to connecting investors and startups has fostered a very impressive 20-25% success rate to date,” said RAISE Forum co-founder Barry Etra.

The RAISE Forum is the only funding forum in the Southeast. Approximately one in five presenting companies secure funding through the Forum’s efforts, a rather high percentage, and all funded companies have remained in the Southeast.

Charles Goetz, Professor in the Goizueta School of Business, is a co-founder of the Forum. “These funded companies can now stay in the Southeast, which fulfills one of our key goals of keeping companies in the region,” said Goetz. 

Investor and Community Support

Current investor support for the Forum comes from across the region and includes hundreds of investors, including Circadian Ventures, BIP, VentureSouth, AIM Group, Fulcrum Equity, and 11-11 Ventures. Additional support comes from Georgia Bio, other influential Southeastern startup incubators and influencers and sponsors.

Active investors or regional organizations interested in supporting the Forum should visit raiseforum.com/investors or raiseforum.com/sponsors to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and registration.