The 13^th semi-annual RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum will be held Friday, November 12. Supported by The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, this invitation-only event connects startups and top-tier investors from across the Southeast with the goal of fostering collaboration within the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and ensuring the best startups can stay where they are today.

“Our unique approach to connecting investors and startups has fostered a very impressive 20-25% success rate for companies obtaining funding through Raise Forum investors to date,” said RAISE Forum co-founder, Barry Etra.

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.

Call for Startups

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 that are actively looking to invest in early-stage companies. To be considered as a presenting startup, a company must have revenue, as well as participate in a short, complimentary, training session to better prepare applicants for investor presentations. Applications will close Friday, October 1.

The RAISE Forum is the only funding forum in the Southeast. More than one in five presenting companies secure funding through the Forum’s efforts, and all have remained in the Southeast. Startups in any field are encouraged to apply to present at the Forum by visiting www.raiseforum.com/entrepreneurs.

Investor and Community Support

Current investor support for the Forum comes from across the region and includes hundreds of investors to date, such as 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, as well as sponsors. Active investors or regional organizations interested in supporting the Forum should visit raiseforum.com/investors orraiseforum.com/sponsors to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and registration.