startup factory

Chris Heivly talks new Techstars gig, moving on from the Startup Factory

Posted by Laura Baverman | Feb 23, 2017

Six weeks into a new job at Techstars, The Startup Factory’s Chris Heivly shares details of his work, its connection to the Triangle.

SEO Experts Turn Crowdfunding Campaigns into Content

Posted by Laura Baverman | Mar 13, 2014

It’s hard to know where to begin the story of Marty Smith. And that’s partially why he’s in the Startup Factory to build his latest startup, a platform called Crowdfunde that deploys crowdfunding campaigns as a content marketing strategy for businesses. Smith has a long, compelling story; he needs a better, simpler and punchier pitch. Smith (pictured right) was an M&M/Mars sales manager when he bought his first computer and taught himself to code. He built software products for the candy company before starting his first company in 1999. FoundObjects.com had exclusive rights to online sales of magnetic poetry...

Hosteling and Hostel Operating Inspires New Travel Booking Site

Posted by Laura Baverman | Mar 13, 2014

Running a hostel proved more difficult than Michelle and Guy McBride had thought. There was no booking and management site to account for the last-minute whims of travelers who hop bed to bed for months or years at a time. Much of the operations of the business still happened with pen and paper—it was the only way to manage the process in real-time. They also knew from a decade of travels together and hundreds of hostel stays (They met in Las Vegas and immediately bonded over their shared love of hostels) that it was hard to find one place...

Difficult Daycare Search Leads to CareLuLu Launch

Posted by Laura Baverman | Mar 13, 2014

More than 400 Washington D.C.-area daycares and preschools are providing detailed listings on a site that launched seven months ago to simplify and personalize the search for childcare. And now the founders of the site called CareLuLu are seeking help to grow the business from the mentors and funders at the Startup Factory in Durham. CareLuLu already launched a nationwide directory of 200,000 childcare operations, and hopes to soon release the full platform in other large cities—places where the childcare and preschool market is crowded and it’s hard to find openings. An environmental engineer by trade Patrick Matos stopped...

Childhood Friends Give Up Law and Consulting to Launch the ‘Spotify for Spoken Word’

Posted by Laura Baverman | Mar 13, 2014

Alex Carter is one of those guys that soaks up knowledge, and he wants as many ways as possible to discover new podcasts, talks, radio shows and recordings to serve it to him. But discovering that kind of audio has never been easy despite the plethora of content available on the web and through iTunes. Without knowing a person giving a talk or the name of a show, it’s impossible to find relevant recordings without a lot of effort. That’s the problem Carter (pictured left) and his lifelong friend and former NC State classmate Michael Crouch (right) are trying...