DURHAM – VentureSouth, rapidly emerging as a leading investor in early-stage startups across the Triangle and southeast, has a new director for its Triangle opreations.

He is Jonathan Heigel, a Duke University graduate who recently moved to Raleigh.

“VentureSouth is thrilled to continue working with Jonathan, now in his role of director of our angel investment group in the Triangle,” said Paul Clark, managing director of VentureSouth. “Jonathan has been a valuable VentureSouth member for several years, as an investor, due diligence team member, and advocate. His service on the board of directors for portfolio companies, most recently for Seal the Seasons in Durham, lets him apply his consulting and entrepreneurial expertise, to early-stage companies in the region. We are thrilled to have him leading our efforts in the Triangle.”

Heigel earned an undergraduate degree in economics and an MBA in political science at Duke and has been a member of the VentureSouth group. He’s worked for the U.S. Navy, several consulting firms and has led his own consulting firm.

“I’m very excited to be taking on an active role representing VentureSouth in the Triangle,” Heigel said in a statement. “Having recently relocated to Raleigh, it’s incredibly exciting to see how the region has exploded in so many ways since my college days. The vitality and volume of entrepreneurs, venture investors, and the startup ecosystem matches anything I’ve seen elsewhere in the country, and I’m excited to become a part of it.”

VentureSouth has more than 500 members and has made more than 100 investments across the southeast, including 25 in the Triangle.