15 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Durham [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: January 20th, 2022

Are you looking for an accelerator program in Durham city?

According to Bizjournals,Durham has become an emerging startup capital for entrepreneurs in the US.

If you're starting a startup in Durham, you might be wondering what startup accelerators or incubators exist in the area. Here's the full list:

Startup Accelerators & Business Incubators In Durham

#	Accelerator/Incubator	Funding	Location	Apply
1	NC Idea	$50K	Durham	Apply
2	8 Rivers	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
3	Startup Stampede	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
4	Duke Fuqua School of Business	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
5	American Underground	Not Disclosed	Durham, R...	Apply
6	Bio Labs	Not Disclosed	San Diego...	Apply
7	Excelerate Health Ventures	Varies	Durham	Apply
8	Alexandria Innovation Center	Varies	Durham, R...	Apply
9	First Flight Venture Center	$25K	Durham, R...	Apply
10	BD Technologies and Innovation	Not Disclosed	Durham, R...	Apply
11	Duke Law Tech Lab	$35K	Durham	Apply
12	Startup Lab	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
13	The Cookery	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
14	Helius	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply
15	Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship	Not Disclosed	Durham	Apply

15 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Durham [2024]

1. NC Idea

Location: Durham
Industry: All Industries
Investment Size: $50K
Program: 8 Weeks

NC Idea is a program that empowers entrepreneurs and helps them reach their potential by offering support and grants. They guide entrepreneurs from the idea stage to the growth stage and provide them business strategies essential for growth in the industry. This program offers a steadfast commitment to supporting economic advancements and business innovations throughout North Carolina. NC Idea also builds trust in entrepreneurs by working closely with them to ensure considerable impact and long-term sustainability.

Apply to NC Idea, or learn more ➜

2. 8 Rivers

Location: Durham
Industry: Climate Tech and Technology
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: Not Disclosed

8 Rivers is a business program that helps companies build a sustainable infrastructure by inventing and commercializing them. This program deals in technology related to climate, fossil fuels, and electricity. They have an expansive and multidisciplinary network of experienced and talented mentors and collaborators who provide businesses with industry knowledge, technology benefits, and disruptive innovations.

Apply to 8 Rivers, or learn more ➜

3. Startup Stampede

Location: Durham
Industry: Product Companies
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: 2 Months

Startup Stampede is a product incubator program that helps startups to build innovative and emerging product companies. This 2-month program provides entrepreneurs with coaching, workspace, mentorship, strategies to launch products in the market, and education about business topics like; branding, web development, e-commerce, logistics, order fulfillment, digital marketing, and online business operations.

Apply to Startup Stampede, or learn more ➜

4. Duke Fuqua School of Business

Location: Durham
Industry: All Industries
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: 2 Years

Duke Fuqua School of Business is an incubator program that advances an entrepreneurial mindset to participants. They host an Entrepreneur and Innovation Program that provides small businesses with the progression of knowledge, research-based education, funding & scholarship events, tailored curriculum, and training programs to gain excellence.

Apply to Duke Fuqua School of Business, or learn more ➜

5. American Underground

Location: Durham, Raleigh
Industry: Technology and Digital Products
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: Not Disclosed

American Underground is an incubator program and a startup hub that provides community support and space to entrepreneurs to grow and excel in the industry. They offer curated resources, workspace, and a vibrant community of mentors and investors to the participating entrepreneurs. This program diversifies the economic opportunities of startups by hosting three different programs for them to participate in; Black Founders Exchange, Landing Spot, and Idea to Entrepreneur.

Apply to American Underground, or learn more ➜

6. Bio Labs

Location: San Diego, Boston, Cambridge, Philadelphia, New York, and more
Industry: Life Science
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: Not Disclosed

Bio Labs is an accelerator program and co-working space for life science and biotechnology startups. The participants of this program can access the leading pharmaceutical industry partners and life science tools necessary to grow in their industry. They fuel the life science ecosystem by supporting the community and creating jobs. They provide startups with best-in-class equipment, PCR machines, centrifuges, plate readers, and more.

Apply to Bio Labs, or learn more ➜

7. Excelerate Health Ventures

Location: Durham
Industry: Healthcare Industries
Investment Size: Varies
Program: 30-45 Days

Excelerate Health Ventures is an accelerator program that works with digital healthcare entrepreneurs passionate about improving healthcare and technology-based services to reduce health costs and improve patient outcomes. They offer experience and interdisciplinary knowledge to the entrepreneurs and help them to add value to their healthcare ventures. This program redefines healthcare investment and accelerates the healthcare network through incubation and management services.

Apply to Excelerate Health Ventures, or learn more ➜

8. Alexandria Innovation Center

Location: Durham, Research Triangle Park
Industry: Human Health
Investment Size: Varies
Program: Varies

Alexandria Innovation Center is a program that helps entrepreneurs build the future of life-changing innovation. They ignite and accelerate innovations to advance human health by improving nutrition and curing diseases. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is the principle of this program through which they create a positive and long-lasting impact on the world.

Apply to Alexandria Innovation Center, or learn more ➜

9. First Flight Venture Center

Location: Durham, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh
Industry: Science and Technology
Investment Size: $25K
Program: Varies

First Flight Ventures is an incubator program in North Carolina that helps entrepreneurs develop, launch, and grow in the industry. This science and technology center at RTP supports entrepreneurs to launch successful businesses in the niche of life science, information technology, medical devices, and bioscience. They offer guidance, tailored resources, and connections to the startups essential for sustained commercial success in the industry.

Apply to First Flight Venture Center, or learn more ➜

10. BD Technologies and Innovation

Location: Durham, Research Triangle Park
Industry: Life Science
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: Not Disclosed

BD Innovations and Technologies is a program at Research Triangle Park that develops next-gen technologies aligned with business strategies. This program accelerates the development of early-stage companies through incubation, licensing, and collaboration. They help startups in the niche of advanced diagnostics, computer-aided engineering, genomic sciences, data science, and parental sciences.

Apply to BD Technologies and Innovation, or learn more ➜

11. Duke Law Tech Lab

Location: Durham
Industry: Law Tech
Investment Size: $35K
Program: 3 Months

Duke Law Tech Lab is a program that connects entrepreneurs who are passionate about law, innovation, and justice. This program works with early-stage legal tech companies to provide them access to resources. They accelerate next-gen startups and set up new ways of delivering legal services. Duke Law Tech Lab builds a community of hard-working entrepreneurs, connects them to valuable mentors and partners, and supports their growth through tailor-made programs & resources.

Apply to Duke Law Tech Lab, or learn more ➜

12. Startup Lab

Location: Durham
Industry: Health and Finance
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: 3-9 Months

Startup Lab is a program that helps health and financial startups to grow and scale in the industry by leveraging behavioral science. They integrate findings and experimentation methods to the startups by providing them tech solutions in health and finance. This program allows startups to leverage academic research test, build, and scale their products through digital tools, research collaboration, and decision-making ability.

Apply to Startup Lab, or learn more ➜

13. The Cookery

Location: Durham
Industry: Food Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: Not Disclosed

The Cookery is a food incubator program and workspace that helps culinary businesses to grow and scale in the industry. They assist members of the program take their food businesses to the next level. They provide entrepreneurs with go-to culinary connections, commercial kitchens, business advice, knowledge to forecast sales, and resources to establish themselves in the marketplace.

Apply to The Cookery, or learn more ➜

14. Helius

Location: Durham
Industry: Small Businesses
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: 10 Weeks

Helius is a business program that offers coaching and training to small business entrepreneurs. This 10-week program creates a difference in the lives of many entrepreneurs and their businesses by supporting them educationally and financially. They follow a multi-layer approach to tech entrepreneurs about business strategies and guide them to earn income quickly and sustainably. Helius hosts four programs to help entrepreneurs grow and scale in the industry; Launch Durham, Unity Fellowships, Helius Fellowship, and Entrepreneurial Mindset.

Apply to Helius, or learn more ➜

15. Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Location: Durham
Industry: All Industries
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program: 3 Weeks

Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a program that empowers, inspires, and educates entrepreneurs. This program provides students of the Duke with mentorship, resources, community, co-curricular programs, and intellectual leadership. They prepare future change-makers to tackle the pressing problems of running a business and allow them to change the world through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Apply to Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or learn more ➜

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Pat Walls