The week leading up to the Southeast’s biggest venture capital conference, Venture 2003, fittingly was filled with news about startups.

KBI BioPharma, a startup focused on so-called bioreactor technology, has received a $1 million loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and is negotiating to secure use of the former Mitsubishi semiconductor plant to build a biomanufacturing facility.

In Charlotte, startup financial services firm Ephinay landed $10 million. And in Atlanta, startup Quella, which builds high speed circuit boards, landed $3 million.

Six startups in the Triad received $36,000 as part of the Triad Entrepreneurial Initiative’s Verge Competition. Helping drug companies hire qualified workers, battling bioterrorism and detecting heart disease were the winning ideas..

Venture 2003 is Tuesday and Wednesday in Chapel Hill — the 20th such event put on by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. Local tech Wire previewed an additional five firms that are presenting this week — and will run more company profiles this week.

But not all the news was good on the venture front. Longtime VC Chris Hegele is joining Intersouth Partners as a part-time partner. But he’s doing so because Kitty Hawk Capital of Charlotte, the state’s oldest and one of the largest VC firms, is drastically scaling back.

All in all, a very busy week. Here are the headlines:

VENTURE CAPITAL:

Grounded: Kitty Hawk, after 23 Years, Will Make Few New Investments: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3860

High-Speed Circuit Board Firm Names New CEO, Lands $3M in Venture Funding:www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3840

Fast Start: Finance Outsourcing Firm Lands $10 Million, First Acquisition:www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3829

Starting a Venture Capital Fund in 2003 — Is It Really Possible?: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3868

Triad Entrepreneurs Group Hands Out Awards For Innovative Business Plans: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3869

VENTURE 2003:

Norak BioSciences Seeks Up to $15 Million in Additional Capital To Expand Drug Research: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3877

Taking the Pain Out of Circuit Design: ViASIC Targets a Booming Market: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3862

Tackling ‘Staggering’ Problems: Dynogen Combats Intestinal Afflictions: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3843

On the Path to Success? SmartPath Sets Lofty Goals in Marketing Resource Management Space: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3832

A4 Health Systems Looks for Growth in Booming Healthcare Market: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3815

BIOWATCH:

‘Ready To Grow’: BioLink Carves Niche in Contract Research Services: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3870

Startup Biopharma Firm Lands $1M Loan, Eyes Durham Plant: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3859

BREAKING NEWS:

Hollywood Calling? Art.com, HowStuff Works Nominated for ‘Webby’ Awards: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3838

AeA To Recognize Southeast ‘Spirit’ Leaders in Tech: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3837

IBM Earnings Surge; Nortel, Cisco Beef Up Storage Area Network Efforts; Plastina Back To Work: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3830

MEC Hires San Francisco Executive as Its New Leader: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3871

When Next Emergency Strikes, Charlotte Firm May Deliver News First: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3867

Former White House Tech Advisor To Share the Skinny on Federal Funding Initiatives at UNC Charlotte: www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=3842