NC IDEA

NC IDEA is a nonprofit organization based in Durham, North Carolina, dedicated to supporting early-stage, high-growth technology companies. Since its inception in 2005, NC IDEA has provided critical funding through its grant programs, including NC IDEA SEED, which offers $50,000 grants to innovative startups with proven concepts, and NC IDEA MICRO, which provides $10,000 to help young companies validate and advance their ideas. Through these initiatives, NC IDEA aims to reduce the risks associated with scaling startups while also offering mentorship and guidance. The organization has awarded over $7.2 million in grants to 161 companies, with nearly 70 percent still operating today. Collectively, these companies have raised over $295 million in additional funding and created more than 1,860 jobs, demonstrating the significant impact of NC IDEA on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Carolina.

Amy Bastian

Senior Director

David P. Rizzo

President and CEO

Thom Ruhe

President and CEO

Past deals in Textiles

CICIL Home

Grant in 2022
CICIL Home believes in utilizing natural, renewable materials, making products simply, knowing where things come from, and understanding their impact on the earth.

CalicoSol

Grant in 2022
Calico Sol provides eco-friendly alternatives to common household goods.

Ponybox Clothing

Grant in 2022
Ponybox Clothing's mission is to create a convenient and affordable way for women to discover self-expression through clothing while also reducing the negative environmental impacts caused by fast fashion.
Sister Girl Collection provides children's literature, Sister Girl apparel, Sister Girl children's home furnishings, and educational tools that encourage, motivate and enlighten children and communities.
Renaissance Fiber is focused on the production of high-quality fiber from industrial hemp using proprietary methods that are clean, inexpensive and scalable. Their material is suitable for a wide range of applications including textile, paper and composites.

Sani

Grant in 2021
Sani, established in 2017, aims to enhance the visibility of South Asian craftsmanship and techniques through its clothing line. The company specializes in ethnic wear that combines traditional and Western styles, offering a diverse range of fashionable options for women. Its product lineup includes tunics, workwear, festive attire, and fusion wear, featuring items such as tops, skirts, palazzos, and trousers. By focusing on modern designs at affordable prices, Sani seeks to cater to the evolving fashion needs of its customers while celebrating cultural heritage.
Three Strands Recovery Wear is a recovery garment company that offers healthcare services for breast cancer. The company focuses on post-operative bras for mastectomies, breast reconstruction, augmentation, reduction, and any other breast cosmetic surgery. It aims to give women the power and control to recover with confidence.

Jayla’s Heirlooms

Grant in 2021
Jayla’s Heirlooms is a manufacturing company that offers handmade dolls for kids and babies. The company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Up-On 3

Grant in 2020
Up-On 3 specializes in innovative clothing that blends style with functionality, catering to both men and women. The company has developed a unique line of healthcare-specialized apparel, including their patent-pending belt-built shorts. These shorts feature a belt handle system with three handles strategically placed at the waist, allowing caregivers to assist individuals in transitioning from sitting to standing. This design not only enhances comfort and support but also ensures that the garments maintain a fashionable appearance, effectively merging practical use with contemporary style.

Bibi Threads

Grant in 2020
BiBi Threads is a clothing brand reinventing the way a woman feels. The company's mission is to to empower mothers to embrace their inner and outer beauty by providing them with a bra as beautiful and multi-talented as they are.

Venturing Lifestyle Designs

Grant in 2019
Venturing Lifestyle Designs is a consumer company that manufactures women's apparel specializing in clothing for outdoor adventures. The company offers appeals to women, enabling women with clothing that allows them to be more adventurous, athletic, and active. Venturing Lifestyle Designs was founded in 2019 and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Renaissance Fiber is focused on the production of high-quality fiber from industrial hemp using proprietary methods that are clean, inexpensive and scalable. Their material is suitable for a wide range of applications including textile, paper and composites.

Descalza

Grant in 2019
Descalza is a fashion label based in Raleigh, North Carolina, known for its unique blend of modern style and ethically sourced Latin American textiles. The brand specializes in handcrafted, made-to-measure clothing that incorporates traditional artisanal fabrics from Latin America. By using fair trade materials, Descalza aims to offer customers a distinctive fashion experience that honors cultural heritage while promoting ethical practices in the fashion industry.

Bear Fiber

Grant in 2018
They are growing the North/South Carolina and global supply of cottonized hemp fiber for technical textiles. They have evaluated the complete value chain from raw material to finished good to ensure we provide competitive and competent service for our customers.

Snugwicks

Grant in 2018
Snugwicks is a consumer company that develops performance-based, water-wicking pet gear made with an innovative design to pamper pets. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Iron Station, North Carolina.

ecoTEKindustries

Grant in 2018
EcoTEKindustries is a manufacturer of carbon fiber and fiberglass in prosthetic and orthotic devices using natural materials. The company's devices are made using natural and renewable materials that are actually stronger than carbon fiber, without adding any significant weight.

Rite of Passage

Grant in 2018
Rite of Passage is a clothing brand that manufactures textiles clothes for women. It also offers a high-end women’s wear collection made with natural yarns and high-quality cloth. The company is based in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Preservation Dyehouse

Grant in 2018
Preservation Dyehouse is a manufacturing company located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, specializing in cloth dyeing services using natural products. The company focuses on sustainable practices by utilizing dyestuffs sourced from sustainably grown and wild collected materials. This approach not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of plant and protein fibers but also ensures that the dyes are safe for sensitive skin. As a result, customers can confidently purchase products without concerns about allergies or adverse reactions to conventional chemical dyes. Preservation Dyehouse aims to provide high-quality, environmentally friendly dyeing solutions for a variety of textile needs.

Sani

Grant in 2018
Sani, established in 2017, aims to enhance the visibility of South Asian craftsmanship and techniques through its clothing line. The company specializes in ethnic wear that combines traditional and Western styles, offering a diverse range of fashionable options for women. Its product lineup includes tunics, workwear, festive attire, and fusion wear, featuring items such as tops, skirts, palazzos, and trousers. By focusing on modern designs at affordable prices, Sani seeks to cater to the evolving fashion needs of its customers while celebrating cultural heritage.

MicMag by Me

Grant in 2018
MicMag by Me is a retailer of customizable and personalized furniture. The company sells heirloom-quality, trend-forward, customizable upholstered furniture designed and handmade in North Carolina that can be shipped anywhere and assembled in minutes, enabling buyers to find cheap, locally designed furniture. MicMag by Me was founded by Kerri Hall.

Mefiver

Grant in 2012
Mefiver is a retail company that manufactures sustainable and innovative denim products. It uses patent-pending technology and cutting-edge design to provide innovative solutions for green textile manufacturing.

EntoGenetics

Grant in 2009
EntoGenetics is a biomaterials company that specializes in producing spider silk through genetically engineered silkworms. The company focuses on commercializing this innovative silk, which is applicable in various fields, including biomedical and textile industries. By utilizing engineered silkworms, EntoGenetics aims to provide a cost-effective and accessible source of spider silk, making it easier for users to incorporate this unique material into their products and applications.

Thimbler

Grant in 2008
Thimbler is an online fashion community that enables fashionists, designers, shoppers, and producers to create, sell, and buy customized clothes. It is based in Apex, North Carolina.

Spoonflower

Grant in 2008
Spoonflower is a community built around fabric and textile design. It offers custom fabric printing with no minimum order as well as as a marketplace of thousands of unique fabric designs by independent designers from around the world. The company has expanded its products to include custom wallpaper and gift wrap, in addition to fabric. Spoonflower uses eco-friendly digital textile printing technology and prints each order on demand using water-based inks. Crafters and small businesses use custom fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap from Spoonflower to make quilts, clothes, pillows, dolls, blankets, framed textile art and many, many other products.

Cytex Therapeutics

Grant in 2007
Cytex Therapeutics was formed to develop and commercialize the tissue regeneration technology discoveries coming out of the lab of Dr. Farshid Guilak at Duke University. The original Cytex business plan received numerous innovation awards, including seed capital for the startup phase. Since its founding, Cytex has gone on to win numerous state and federal grants, each recognizing the novelty of the research and its enormous potential contribution to the clinical management of patients with osteoarthritis. The three Cytex co-founders form the core leadership of the company as it continues to develop its novel products.
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