Tuesday’s news that the recently renamed Startup Factory will put on its “Pitch Day” event in Raleigh next month is another sign of TSF’s continuing reach beyond Durham. Its partners continue to mull the possibility of expansion to other markets with 20 of its first 22 investments still in business.

Partners Chris Heivly and Dave Neal saw a chance to broaden the branding of The Startup Factory by working with the organizers of the annual Internet Summit in Raleigh, Heivly tells WRALTechWire.

“We are partnering with Internet Summit and their multi-day event to build a 1 + 1 = 3 type of opportunity for local and visiting investors, entrepreneurs [and others],” Heivly says. “Since they are in Raleigh and have a big footprint going we thought this would be an excellent opportunity to partner as well as send notice that we care equally about Raleigh and the Triangle.”

Speaking of the Internet Summit, its organizers said Tuesday that preregistered attendance has already topped 1,000 people. They are aiming for a crowd of 2,000.

The Summit runs Nov. 12-14 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

TSF’s event is set for Nov. 12 at the Fletcher Opera Theater.

TSF recently changed its name from Triangle Startup Factory and designed a new logo as part of a strategy to draw more applications – and perhaps investors – to its new business accelerator program, which launched in early 2012.

So far, so good on the changes, Heivly says.

“Our broader branding is working well we think,” he explains.

“Certainly our next few application cycles will tell us more. We are getting less questions about what is the Triangle as well as more questions about our national brand.”

Heivly and Neal have done some traveling recently, having been approached about taking the TSF concept elsewhere. 

“No decisions as yet,” he says. “[We’re] still exploring options.”

More important at the moment is how TSF companies are doing as investments. TSF invests $50,000 and offers additional financing through a note post-graduation from the accelerator course.

“Good,” he says of the current group of six firms that will present next month. “We are in the middle and there is lots left to do so we will see.”

Thus far, TSF has a pretty good batting average in startup nurturing.

Of the 22 companies invested in, 20 are still alive,” Heivly says.

Also very encouraging is that “about 45 percent” of those have raised “follow-on funding” of one sort or another. Heivly won’t disclose the amounts or companies

However, he did note that “only two have not taken advantage of the note offering.”