SSR - May 29, 2026

We took last week off to honor Memorial Day — hope everyone got some rest and made it to a cookout or two. Before we dive in, a quick look at the national picture: Q1 2026 was a historic quarter for global venture capital, with nearly $300 billion deployed worldwide — nearly 70% of everything raised in all of 2025, in just three months. The catch? The money is concentrating fast — bigger rounds, fewer deals, and a heavy tilt toward AI. For founders outside San Francisco and New York, that makes what's happening here in the South even more important. The grants, the angel networks, the accelerator programs — that's the connective tissue that keeps early-stage companies alive. Good thing we've got plenty of it. Here's what's been happening.

Louisiana

Lafayette-born FlyGuys is returning for a second year as a headline partner for the Elevate Scholarship Program, teaming up with the National Center for Autonomous Technologies to fund 300 scholarships covering the $175 FAA Part 107 certification fee for aspiring drone pilots ages 16 to 24 — a great sign of a hometown startup leading workforce development at national scale. Greater New Orleans, Inc. launched the sixth cohort of its Innovation Internship Program, placing 45 college students with 39 regional companies in an eight-week paid program across six career tracks including STEM, startups, energy, and private equity. In investor news, Gulf South Angels is absorbing MEDA Angels, bringing 50 healthcare-focused physicians and investors into GSA's network of 170+ accredited investors across 20 states, with MEDA founder Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh joining the GSA Board. And for founders and investors looking to deploy capital in the state — Louisiana's Angel Investor Tax Credit (AITC) program offers a 25% tax credit on qualified investments in early-stage Louisiana companies, a meaningful incentive that has helped drive momentum in the local ecosystem. Learn more here.

Alabama

Alabama Launchpad wrapped up its Cycle 1 2026 competitions with two strong winners. Auburn-based VivoSphere LLC took home $100,000 in the Life Sciences Track for its 3D tissue-engineered drug screening models that help pharma companies identify ineffective candidates earlier, reducing clinical trial failures and animal testing. In the Technology Track, Auburn University student Joseph Rusk and The BreadBoard Company won $75,000 for their Lego-style robotics and electronics kits designed to make STEM approachable for young learners. Applications for Cycle 2 2026 are open now with a priority deadline of July 1.

Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas had a busy month for startup programming. Global accelerator gener8tor launched gALPHA Arkansas, a free venture-creation workshop in partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, with applications open through June 7 and the program kicking off June 17 — no prior startup experience required. Separately, multiple accelerators hosted new spring cohorts, including the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator naming its 2026 class and the University of Arkansas's GORP outdoor recreation incubator wrapping its eighth cohort with six companies focused on cycling, water sports, and outdoor education.

Florida

Congratulations to CVRD Health who landed a $5M seed round to streamline benefits for federal contractors, and Global Settlement Network who raised $11M to rethink how money moves across borders. On the recognition front, Miami cracked the top 20 global startup ecosystems in a new ranking — a milestone that reflects the city's sustained momentum in fintech, healthtech, and AI infrastructure.

  Georgia

Autolane launched its Smart Curbside technology at Lenox Square and Westside Provisions to manage the parking chaos created by Waymos and autonomous vehicles — a real-world AV infrastructure problem being solved locally. Wanderwing emerged with a platform aimed at proving not all kids' screen time is created equal, and The Elephant Room is bringing a venture capital model to the music industry. The Ember Fellowship also launched in Atlanta and Birmingham to help the local startup ecosystem hire emerging talent.

Mississippi

Mississippi State University's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach received a $100,000 grant from the Regions Foundation to support the MSU VentureCatalyst accelerator in Starkville, the Million Dollar Checklist Accelerator in Vicksburg, and the university's flagship Startup Summit — which awards over $100,000 in prizes annually, including two new $10,000 Regions Foundation Innovation Prizes. The VentureCatalyst program offers student and faculty founders up to $7,500 in direct funding alongside mentorship and workshops.

North Carolina

NC IDEA awarded $350,000 to seven North Carolina startups through its Spring 2026 SEED grant cycle — $50,000 each — selected from 185 statewide applicants. Recipients span Charlotte, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Wake Forest, Apex, Durham, and Raleigh across sectors from AI energy infrastructure (Phaseshift) to sleep health (Nuream) to VR vision training (Ver Coaching). Wilmington FinTech startup IQExit also earned national media attention this month, picked up by The Hustle and Hypepotamus for its platform helping business owners prepare for M&A exits before the $14 trillion "Silver Tsunami" of boomer-owned businesses hits the market.

South Carolina

SCRA (South Carolina Research Authority) awarded grant funding to four tech companies in May: Tada AI received a $50,000 acceleration grant, while CAMA Security, Pathly, and Vet Media Group each received $25,000 startup grants. Two additional companies, Baysys Solutions and Digital Site Box, were accepted as SCRA member companies. The activity reflects SCRA's ongoing role as a steady engine for early-stage tech company formation across the Palmetto State.

Tennessee

Nashville drew over 1,200 attendees to the spring Entrepreneur Day at GEODIS Park, celebrating Nashville Entrepreneur Center graduates and the next wave of Tennessee founders. In Knoxville, UT's Anderson Center granted $50,000 to student entrepreneurs through the Boyd Venture Challenge, with Arbor AI founder Patrick Ragozzine taking first place for his AI-powered case management software for solo law firms. And in Chattanooga, CO.LAB wrapped the sixth week of its Energy Innovation Accelerator with a curated "Night with the Founders" reception connecting four energy startups with investors and ecosystem leaders.