Datafication Nation
Data is becoming increasingly important in our lives. It is used to make decisions about everything from what products we see advertised to what jobs we are offered. In this new weekly column, Datafication Nation, we explore the use of data in our daily lives and the role it plays in various industries, from [...]
RIoT Labs and NC IDEA Select Ten Startups for RIoT Accelerator Program Following Recent Joint Venture
Twenty-Second RAP Cohort to Leverage Growing North Carolina Ecosystem Through New Partnership WILSON, NC — March 26, 2026 — RIoT Labs, a technology-based economic development nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs, scaling innovation, and advancing high-tech industries to build a resilient, future-ready economy, alongside NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in [...]
NC IDEA Foundation and The Wireless Research Center Announce Joint Venture at February 3rd RIoT State of the Region Event
NC IDEA Foundation and The Wireless Research Center Announce Joint Venture at February 3rd RIoT State of the Region Event WRC Launches RIoT Labs as RAP Team Joins NC IDEA RALEIGH, NC – February 4, 2026 – NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, along with [...]
RIoT Awarded SBA Grant to Accelerate AgTech Innovation in Wilson, NC
Wilson, NC — RIoT has received $75,000 through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) to address critical gaps within the region’s AgTech innovation ecosystem and, most importantly, to empower farmers and growers to test and evaluate new technologies they may want to implement on their operations. This funding will enable [...]
Startup Spotlight – Meet InfraTechDC’s Co-Founder Who’s Turning Data Center Waste Heat into Opportunity
The digital world runs on data—and behind every AI model, streaming service, and cloud platform lies an invisible yet critical challenge: heat. As data centers expand to support ever-growing computational demands, the heat they generate threatens efficiency, sustainability, and scalability. When veteran entrepreneur Chris Bentley, Co-Founder & CEO of InfraTechDC, first encountered the [...]
Innovation Takes Center Stage in Pittsboro – RIoT’s RAP XXI Founder Showcase & Pitch Night
On Monday, October 27, the town of Pittsboro, North Carolina, buzzed with entrepreneurial energy as ten ambitious startups took the stage for RIoT’s RIoT Accelerator Program (RAP) XXI Founder Showcase & Pitch Night. The event marked the culmination of an intense 12-week journey through one of the region’s most competitive and impactful accelerator programs—where technology, [...]
The Rural Tech Revolution: Where Innovation Finally Comes Home
Innovation isn’t just happening in big cities—it’s thriving in small towns across North Carolina. This week Tom highlights how rural entrepreneurship is fueling sustainable growth—turning creativity, connection, and local problem-solving into powerful economic drivers and communities like Wilson, Pittsboro, and the Sandhills are proving that great ideas don’t need skyscrapers or venture capital to take [...]
Startup Spotlight – Carolina Instruments Founder Transforming Neuroscience Inside and Outside the Lab
In the rapidly evolving fields of neuroscience and cognitive health, there’s a growing need for tools that make invisible processes visible—tools that capture what’s happening in the brain with precision and practicality. That’s exactly where Carolina Instruments comes in. A spinout from UNC Chapel Hill, Carolina Instruments is developing wearable, camera-free eye-tracking technology [...]
Startup Spotlight – Bingo Bard Isn’t Your Grandma’s Bingo, It’s Social, Smart, and AI-Driven
Bingo is no longer just a pastime for community centers—it’s becoming a powerful tool for connection. Enter Bingo Bard, a social gaming platform founded by Janie Hughes and Mike Hughes, designed to reinvent how people engage at events and gatherings, with custom bingo experiences. The idea clicked when the couple realized just how [...]
Startup Spotlight – Nearby Nearby Is Creating Community Through Geolocation
In the heart of rural America, where local connections often determine the strength and resilience of a community, Nearby Nearby is redefining how people discover what’s right outside their doors. Billed as the first platform designed specifically for rural communities, Nearby Nearby makes it easy to find and support local businesses, events, youth [...]
Startup Spotlight – Crown Biome Shows Us That Every Venture Needs Bite & Guts
At the intersection of dentistry, bioinformatics, and preventive healthcare, Crown Biome is pioneering new ways to harness the microbiome for better health outcomes. However, Founder & CEO, Bryan Toton, didn’t take the typical path to entrepreneurship. A lifelong dream of becoming an orthodontist led to studies in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Human Biology at [...]
RIoT Announces the Twenty-First Cohort of the RIoT Accelerator Program Featuring Ten Promising Startups
[Pittsboro, NC] - RIoT is proud to announce the launch of the twenty-first cohort of the RIoT Accelerator Program (RAP XXI), hosted for the first time in Pittsboro, North Carolina. This milestone cohort welcomes ten innovative startups to the program, continuing RIoT’s mission to foster entrepreneurship and grow the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected [...]
Embracing AI and Culture: A Live Conversation with Atomic Object’s Ryan Abel
At a recent live recording of the RIoT Underground podcast, host Tom Snyder sat down with Ryan Abel, Managing Director of Atomic Object’s Raleigh office, to explore the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence, its practical implications, and the importance of a strong, intentional company culture on the successful adoption of these technologies for [...]
Unleashing the Future of IoT with 5G, RedCap, and AI with T-Mobile For Business
The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly reshaping industries, but the challenge of managing diverse devices and networks remains a significant hurdle for businesses and developers alike. As connectivity becomes the lifeblood of modern technology, 5G is emerging as a game-changer. With its promise of blazing speed, ultra-low latency, and massive device connectivity, [...]
From Vision to Venture – The Journey of an Early-Stage Entrepreneur
Every successful business starts the same way—with an idea. Maybe it comes during a long commute, while tinkering in a garage, or over coffee with friends. For aspiring entrepreneurs, that first spark is electric. But turning that spark into a sustainable business? That’s where the real work begins. For many early-stage founders and small business [...]