SC Launch Competitors

Duke Energy, a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear. Our team is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. If you suspect an emergency, please call 911.

SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with more than 7,000 volunteers serving all 50 U.S. states and territories. Since its founding in 1964 as a resource partner for the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE has helped more than 20 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business through mentoring, resources and education. SCORE provides a wide range of services to established and budding business owners alike, including: Mentoring: Entrepreneurs can access free, confidential business mentoring in person at local chapters and partner locations or remotely via email, phone and video. SCORE mentors are experts in entrepreneurship and related fields who meet with their small business clients on an ongoing basis to provide continued advice and support. Webinars and Courses on Demand: SCORE regularly offers free online workshops on topics ranging from startup strategies to marketing and finance. Attendees can watch webinars live, or view recordings online on their own time. We also offer interactive courses on-demand, so you can walk through each module at your own pace. Library of online resources: Business owners can also benefit from SCORE’s extensive collection of guides, templates, checklists, blogs, videos, infographics, and more. We strive to provide the most relevant and current educational content to help small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed. Local events: Many local SCORE chapters hold free or low-cost in-person workshops and roundtable discussions covering a range of topics.

Techstars helps founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. Founded in 2006, Techstars is on a mission to invest in startups to enable more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world in order to deliver exceptional returns to our investors. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Our results show why Techstars is Better for Founders than any other global accelerator: On average, 74.5% of Techstars companies will raise money within 3 years of their program; 18.5% of Techstars portfolio companies have exited 5 years after their program and 31.1% after eight years. (PitchBook June 2023)