DURHAM — Grep-a-palooza, the tech startup conference started by Joe Colopy and his GrepBeat team, returns to Durham on June 4. The event will feature more than 25 speakers and panelists, including keynotes by Jesse Lipson of Levitate and Igor Jablokov of Pryon. According to Pete McEntegart, GrepBeat Managing Editor and frequent session moderator, this year looks “bigger and better than ever.”
Growth Conference
Much like the startup ecosystem that GrepBeat follows, Grep-a-palooza has a growth mindset. Started in 2022, Grep-a-palooza was part of a year of emergent events, eager to reconnect people after several years of COVID isolation. Now, two years later, McEntegart points out that they're "more established." This year the expected audience is 250, approaching a 100% increase over the event's first year.
"Last year was bigger and everything this year has been tracking bigger. We have more sponsors, we have more sign-ups."
https://maritdigital.com/2023/06/04/triangle-has-come-a-long-way-grep-a-palooza-spotlights-regions-startup-economy/
What has stayed the same is the number of sessions. As in past years, Grep-a-palooza will be a combination of single-track and breakout sessions, covering funding, product evolution, hiring, and other hot topics for tech startups.
Also on the agenda is the annual “Early-Stage VC Funding Outlook”, a panel discussion that includes local investors Jason Caplain of Bull City Venture Partners, Lister Delgado from IDEA Fund Partners, and Tim McLoughlin of Cofounders Capital. Moderated by CEDs Hunter Young, this session is an opportunity for locals to get a sense for how the year in investment is developing, including recent economic and technological impacts. Broadly speaking, VC financing has declined in recent years due in part to recession concerns. The ecosystem is eagerly awaiting a resurgence of investment and the emergence of AI has made for a crowded market of startup contenders.
Startup Face Off
This year’s event is also returning to its 2022 roots by bringing back its version of Shark Tank.
“Grep Tank”, a competitive pitch competition, will take place across two sessions, each with three startups competing. Businesses will have the opportunity to win some portion of a fictional $2 million from the investor judges. Audience members will also have the ability to choose their favorites from the pitches.
The event will also include plenty of networking time and an open lunch with “birds-of-a-feather” seating themes. Attendees can also speak with the sponsors, including NC IDEA and Duke, UNC-CH, and NC State entrepreneurship programs.
Key Keynotes
Grep-a-palooza opens and closes with keynote presentations. Jesse Lipson, former ShareFile founder, and Levitate CEO, will make his first appearance on the Grep-a-palooza stage to open the event.
“Jes is obviously one of the handful of most successful serial entrepreneurs here in the Triangle,” McEntegart said. “So he’s always been on our shortlist.”
As for the closing keynote, Pryon Founder & CEO Igor Jablokov should have plenty to say about the current state of generative AI and its implementation for businesses. Pryon, which was founded in 2017, provides a "RAG Suite" that supports businesses aiming to build more accurate and proprietary generative AI for their teams and clients. McEntegart will have 45 minutes to chat with Jablokov, who he says is "high-energy" which should make for a rousing end to a busy day of sessions.
https://maritdigital.com/2023/05/31/inside-the-world-of-millionaire-tech-entrepreneur-joe-colopys-grep-beat/
Wrap-up
The conference will wrap up with an after-party at Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub. This event requires no ticket and even if you miss out on the sessions, you can attend to chat about event takeaways.
Those who want to make it to the event still have time, however. Tickets remain available, with a discount for tech startups. Tickets at the door will be $249 for startups and $349 for others.
And while McEntegart is understandably distracted by this year’s event, he can vaguely confirm that there is “every expectation” of a Grep-a-palooza 4, “probably” in early June and probably at the Durham Convention Center.
Sounds like a plan.
