There were some memorable moments at the 2023 NEXT Venture Summit that were more memorable than others. If you were in the room, you would definitely remember Ric Hoke, Founder of WAVS Custom, walking on stage with his guitar and a song. To follow up his incredible performance, he then tossed WAVS t-shirts to the […]

While sitting in the room amid Accelerator pitch practice each Friday, it is hard to miss the underlying feeling that the founders in the room are changing the world. Each company represented was started from a passion, and practical mission, to make a difference in their unique way.               […]

We’re thrilled to announce NEXT kicked off the second cohort of its accelerator program on Monday, September 18th. The 8-week curriculum, taught with the expertise of local former founders and business leaders, comprises eight high-growth companies. These companies will work side by side with each other and program leaders to build a growth plan to […]

Last night, the Greenville Drive hosted the 3rd annual #StartupGVL Night, a night out for innovation and entrepreneurship. Thanks to Village Launch for a lively Village Market on District 356. We loved seeing Walter, the beer-pouring Robot from Hop Robotics in the Front Porch, and Real Motors’ Tesla Recreational Vehicles in the Champions Club. It […]

Exciting Announcement: NEXT Venture Summit Returns Better Than Ever! We’re thrilled to announce that  NEXT Venture Summit is back and ready to make an impact on the #StartupGVL ecosystem – eight years running! Based on feedback from founders and funders, this year, we’re changing things up a bit and NVS will be a two-day event. […]

The first-ever class of the NEXT Accelerator finished with perfected pitches and a map of where they’ll grow.  The 10 companies that participated in the NEXT Accelerator marked their graduation from the 10-week program with a pitch showcase on Thursday, May 18th. This presentation was the culmination of 10 weeks of work for these 10 […]

NEXT Startup Success Program Manager, Peter Micali, highlights the key takeaways from the 2023 SCRA Summit, a state-wide event for scalable startups hosted in Columbia, SC. While the NEXT staff loves and calls Greenville home, the entire state of South Carolina is committed to supporting tech-enabled, scalable startups. One of the best representations of this […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- April 7, 2023 (Greenville, SC) – The second annual #StartupGVL Launchpad event took place on Thursday, April 6th, and was an incredible celebration of early-stage innovation and entrepreneurship. With over 50 applicants for prizes in 7 categories,  7 winners were selected to receive prize packages that, in total, represent more than $95k.  […]

The first cohort, focused on tech companies in Greenville, includes 10 high-growth startups NEXT kicked off its first-ever accelerator program on Monday, March 6th. This new program introduces a curated 10-week curriculum, taught with the expertise of local former founders and business leaders. The first cohort, comprised of high-growth tech companies, will work with program […]

NEXT Founders Fund to Grow Greenville-Based Startups    Two Greenville entrepreneurs, joined by Mayor Knox White, announced the creation of a multi-million dollar early-stage fund with commitments from dozens of investors in the Greenville area. The NEXT Founders Fund will be run by General Partners Scott Millwood and Shay Houser, co-founders of Deal Strategies. Both […]