SSR - March 27, 2026
It’s been one of those stretches where nothing really slows down, one set of deadlines wraps and the next is already in motion.
We’ve got a busy end to March with Forge Grant (Miami) and Metronome Accelerator (New Orleans) closing March 30, followed by Road to Open Call and Pilot Small Business Growth Fund on March 31.
But if you missed those, or you’re planning ahead, there’s already a new slate open, including Startup Prize Health (June 15), Startup Prize Energy (July 6), and BioChallenge 2026 (October 29).
Louisiana
Louisiana’s startup ecosystem had a big week, with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) and the Venture Summit bringing together founders, investors, and operators from across the region. Check out a full recap here. At the same time, founder stories are taking center stage, with Mallard Bay releasing its “Homecoming” mini-documentary, a look at building a nationwide tech platform from Louisiana. Lafayette-based FlyGuys reported 40% year-over-year growth, its seventh straight year of double-digit expansion, as it scales a network of 20,000+ drone pilots powering enterprise data for AI, while Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO) and The Water Institute launched the Water Innovation Studio of Louisiana to accelerate startups tackling flooding, coastal risk, and water management:
Alabama
Alabama Launchpad announced the 10 finalists for its 2026 Cycle 1 competition, pulling together a strong group of early-stage companies across healthcare, software, and advanced manufacturing. The finalists, Apex Integrated Solutions, Liberty Limbs, LLC, OncoSphere AI, The BreadBoard Company, LLC, Scoutz, Surge People Partners, eco•pí® by Medpaper, STRYD Orthopedics, Inc., Valor Scientific, and VivoSphere, LLC will now move into the next phase of the program, where they’ll refine their pitches and compete for non-dilutive funding—continuing Launchpad’s role as one of the state’s most important on-ramps for new founders.
Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas recognized several standout companies at the Outstanding Business Awards, including honorees across startup, small business, and high-growth categories. Congratulations to Paschal Air, Plumbing & Electric, RightFiber, and Onyx Coffee Lab and all the other winners recognized for driving growth and innovation across the region.
Florida
Trustate co-founders Leah Del Percio and Tara Faquir were named to the Inc. Female Founders 500, highlighting the continued rise of women-led companies in the region. On the funding side, XFX raised $17 million to simplify how money moves between traditional finance and stablecoins, while eMed secured a $200 million Series A at a $2 billion valuation as demand for GLP-1-related healthcare continues to grow. Identity verification startup VeryAI raised $10 million, and Remitian added another $7 million to streamline tax workflows. South Florida-based Dark Watch also closed a $3.5 million seed round. At the fund level, Glade Brook Capital closed a new $1 billion growth fund, while First In launched a $148 million SBIC fund focused on early-stage security technologies.
Georgia
Atlanta-based Rainforest announced a new integration with PayPal and Venmo, allowing software platforms to embed payments directly into their products. And, congratulations to Atlanta-based AI startup, Huber, on raising $1.5 million to accelerate development of its platform and expand its customer base, adding to a steady stream of early-stage funding activity in the city.
Mississippi
Mississippi is continuing to build stronger connections between research and commercialization through efforts like MCity, which is actively working to move university-developed technologies into the hands of entrepreneurs who can bring them to market. That same energy showed up at Dawg Tank, the state’s annual pitch competition, where founders across both innovation-driven startups and Main Street businesses presented their ideas, alongside a new high school track that brought student founders into the mix.
North Carolina
According to new economic development data, North Carolina ranks first in the nation for tech occupation growth, driven by expansion across software, biotech, and advanced manufacturing sectors, as outlined in the 2026 State of Tech report. The report also points to continued strength in talent migration, job creation, and the state’s ability to attract both companies and skilled workers. At the early-stage level, NC IDEA selected 21 semi-finalists for its spring SEED grant cycle, representing startups from across the state. Charlotte-based SetSale raised $2 million in seed funding, led by York IE with participation from Palmetto and Finturf, to expand its platform unifying data and streamlining sales workflows in the HVAC industry, while Wilmington-based Skillmaker added $1.5 million to its SAFE round from investors including Idea Fund Partners, Cape Fear Ventures, and the NC Tweener Fund to scale its AI-powered XR training platform for skilled workers.
South Carolina
Charleston Angel Partners is expanding its collaboration with the College of Charleston, deepening connections between students, founders, and early-stage investors. The effort is focused on building a more direct pipeline from university talent into startups while giving founders greater access to local capital and mentorship.
Tennessee
Seven standout startups will take the stage at the 2026 What’s the Big Idea Finale in Knoxville, pitching solutions that range from accessible kitchen design and AI-powered hospital procurement to PFAS water filtration, smart athletic apparel, fintech for self-employed workers, hydrofoil bikes, and personalized AI wellness coaching. Finalists include PrepSolo, VeriQual, VACScore, WearReady Tech, Aquafer Technologies, SUBI LLC, and ZestyCoach, with one company set to take home the $10,000 grand prize at the March 22 event.