Charlotte Tech News

[KJHburg]

well I posted that above comment too quick as the week ended today.  Today an Austin based company paid  A HALF BILLION dollars for a Charlotte upstart Precision Lending.  

Add that to the above and there should be NO doubt Charlotte is a leading tech center in the southeast.   Charlotte office will grow. 

https://explore.precisionlender.com/press/q2-holdings-completes-acquisition-of-precisionlender

[KJHburg]

Microsoft partners with the city on the Smart City Initiative just after announcing 400+ high paying tech jobs in the city.  

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2019/11/06/microsoft-inks-three-year-deal-with-city-of.html

[KJHburg]

9 North Carolina based companies on the Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte includes 5 Charlotte based firms!   There are 2 major tech centers in this state now Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. 

Fastest growing in NC  Raleigh's own Pendo.

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/11/07/led-by-pendo-9-nc-firms-crack-technology-fast-500-rankings/

[KJHburg]

Charlotte model signs up as ambassador for Charlotte based tech start up Padlist

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/11/18/kathy-ireland-signs-on-with-charlotte-startup-real-estate-platform/

in other news....

NC startups not all tech related of course are at the rate of 4.4 per 1000.

However urban counties Mecklenburg and Wake dominate this at 7.67 and 7.12 respectively 

and 6 urban counties dominate the list but startups seen in all 100 counties.

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/11/18/nc-averages-4-4-new-startups-per-1000-residents-but-urban-counties-still-dominate/

[KJHburg]

another tech startup receives funding and this one is in a fast growing area of cyber security, ThreatSwitch.   https://www.threatswitch.com/    Charlotte Tech Rising! 

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/11/19/investors-pour-another-300000-into-charlotte-cybersecurity-startup-threatswitch/

[KJHburg]

from a subscriber CBJ article 

""Women Who Code, a nonprofit that supports women in technology careers, recently launched a new chapter in Charlotte in partnership with Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC).  The organization hosted a launch event earlier this month at One Bank of America Center. Women Who Code has chapters in 60 cities across 20 countries and boasts 180,000 members. Each year, it hosts more than 1,900 events, such as technology training and interview preparation workshops.   Women Who Code has launched in more than 10 new cities this year.  BofA saw a need for this kind of community network, said Jennifer Manry, chief technology officer of workspace services at the Charlotte-based bank.  “We’re very committed to the Charlotte community and fostering a place where women can be successful in any sort of career they choose,” Manry said. “It’s a way to bring together the women at large in Charlotte in what is now becoming a really, really well-established technology community.”""

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2019/11/21/global-organization-joins-charlottes-growing-tech.html?

[KJHburg]

Charlotte in the top 10 tech markets this year #6 as tech job growth somewhat from last year when we #1 in the USA

Here is the details from the report

""Charlotte, North Carolina (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC) Last year, Charlotte topped our list of Tech Towns. And while there are many reasons the metro area still comes in at no. 6 on our list this year, long-term job growth is one of the reasons why the Charlotte- Concord-Gastonia metro area just misses the top 5. In 2018, the Charlotte area showed signs of an 11% job growth over the next 5 years. That number has slipped just a bit. While the tech industry is still growing here, the growth projection by 2024 is now 9%. But don’t let that fool you—this Tech Town is still putting its money where its mouth is.
Recognized as a major banking hub, companies in Charlotte’s financial sector are redefining what it means to be a tech company. With lots of competition and open positions for developers, software engineers and data analysts, the metro area posted a total of 52,357 tech jobs in the past 12 months alone. On a separate measure, the number of IT jobs is expected to grow by 3% over the next year. 
Even with a slightly lower projected 5-year job growth rate compared to last year’s,  the Charlotte market offers businesses a chance to evolve within a flourishing tech scene, and offers IT pros  an opportunity to flex their entrepreneurial muscles while earning a median salary of $91,617  ($3,340 more than the US overall annually) in an area where the cost of living 2.5% lower than  the national average. Transplants to the area frequently describe Charlotte as “manageable”— meaning the weather is more manageable than Florida, for example. And living expenses are more manageable than New York. More disposable income is a big win. In a town where finances rule all, the numbers don’t lie—Charlotte continues to be a tech magnet.""

https://www.comptia.org/blog/best-tech-cities-it-jobs

[KJHburg]

Charlotte's tech jobs openings is in the top 15 of cities nationwide as noted in this report.  I had someone in the Triangle UP question Charlotte's tech hub status but today walking around I saw Passport is who the city of Raleigh uses for its mobile parking app,  a great Charlotte tech upstart success story.  

https://insights.dice.com/2019/11/26/15-top-cities-employers-technology/

and a good news story from Cary from Dude Solutions

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/12/04/cary-ceo-organizes-free-airfare-to-send-more-than-30-active-duty-service-personnel-home-for-the-holidays/

[KJHburg]

NC inventor of UPC bar code dies in Wendell suburban Raleigh.  While working at IBM at RTP he invented the bar code now used globally.    Thanks George! 

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/12/09/wendell-man-who-invented-upc-barcode-dies-at-94/

 

[videtur quam contuor]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-bar-code40-years-old-wrigley-gum-20140626-story.html

[KJHburg]

Charlotte based AvidXchange is seeking another $300M in funding to fund its growth would make it a $2 Billion tech company.  

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/12/09/sources-charlotte-based-avidxchange-already-a-unicorn-raising-at-least-300m/

 

[KJHburg]

finally got my print edition of the Biz Journal today and a chance to read it.  Top 50 fastest growing area companies list is out.  Many are tech firms and I have to admit not heard of some of these.  But I will highlight them.

Congratulations to all on the list of all sorts of businesses.  all are based in Charlotte or the surrounding region.   

#1  Glew   https://glew.io/

#9 Stratifyd #15 Levvel #17 Passport #18 Union https://union.co/

#20 Flexential #23 Signupgenius  #24 PrecisionLender #25 Tresata  #26 Zentra and many others Kingsmen Software, Seedspark, Inviacom, AvidXchange 

 

[KJHburg]

Wow  Charlotte based Passport one of the city's upstart tech stars attracted another $60 M investment.  Also mentioned in the story is how they now occupy 3 full floors at First Citizens Bank plaza and looking to hire 100 people in the next year and even talking about moving into larger space maybe at Camp Northend.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2019/12/10/passport-closes-on-one-of-the-largest-investment.html

As someone asked in Raleigh UP about tech jobs and companies in Charlotte (really?) I say look at any parking meter in Raleigh they use the Passport technology. 

 

[Matthew.Brendan]

but Charlotte itself does not utilize PassPort. Go figure. 

[KJHburg]

what is good about this announcement of 500 tech jobs with Microsoft in Wake County (Morrisville) is that brings up the 430 jobs they added in Charlotte so brings attention to our tech community again.   This is an AP story so now 1400 Microsoft employees in Charlotte plus 430 new jobs and 500 existing jobs in Morrisville with 500 more coming.  

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/microsoft-keeps-building-in-north-carolina-with-500-more-jobs

[KJHburg]

top 20 Charlotte startups to watch.  Warning graphic takes a while to load.

https://www.americaninno.com/charlotte/Startups-to-Watch-in-2020-clt?mc_cid=a2db5297d8&mc_eid=35909198c0

[KJHburg]

78% of surveyed tech leaders in Charlotte plan on expanding their staff according to this Robert Half report.

https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/job-market/the-state-of-tech-hiring-in-Charlotte

speaking of Austin from the Biz Journal story this about this study

""Charlotte tied for third place with Austin, Texas, in terms of top cities where companies will be adding to their tech teams in the first half of 2020, with 77% of local IT decision makers stating plans of expanding such staff. The survey showed another 99% indicated they were confident in their company’s plans for growth, and 98% expect to bring on project-based professionals in the first six months of 2020.""

Edited December 26, 2019 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Great news since most of this venture capital went to tech firms.  in fourth quarter along $635 M raised by Carolina firms.  I remember a few years back we did not get that much for the entire year.

https://www.americaninno.com/uncategorized/wrapping-up-clts-2019-q4-deals-in-the-queen-city/

[KJHburg]

Fast growing tech firm moving to Camp Northend and hopes to grow quickly there.  From a subscriber article in Biz Journal

""CloudGenera, which provides analytics on cloud services to companies, will move to a 3,000-square-foot space at 1824 Statesville Ave., also known as Camp North End's Raceway Building. For Brian Kelly, CEO of CloudGenera, the space will serve as a hopeful first step for what he sees as long-term growth at Camp North End, which covers 75 acres and includes more than 1 million square feet of former warehouses north of uptown.  "Long term, Camp North End holds so many opportunities for expansion and growth," Kelly said, adding he sees potential for the company to one day occupy multiple buildings at the campus.  Kelly said he expects CloudGenera to at least double in size this year, with new jobs in software development, sales and marketing. Today, CloudGenera employs 17 locally but Kelly said that number could grow to "a couple of hundred" within the next few years.""

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/01/06/charlotte-tech-company-envisions-big-growth-with.html

 

[KJHburg]

Top 20 startups to watch in Charlotte area most tech related.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/01/07/20-charlotte-startups-to-watch-in-2020.html

[KJHburg]

Charlotte had a record year capturing venture capital for mainly our tech companies.  This list used to be dominated by Raleigh and Durham companies  but no more.  Charlotte Tech rising and fast! 

https://www.americaninno.com/charlotte/inno-insights-charlotte/report-charlotte-startups-raise-over-279m-in-2019/

[rancenc]

Not just confine to Charlotte, but good news on the technology and innovation front for the entire state of North Carolina

https://www.nccommerce.com/news/press-releases/north-carolina-gains-ground-key-markers-innovation

 

[KJHburg]

who says Amazon only has warehouse jobs in Charlotte?  they have over 100 people in the Railyard with Amazon services. 

[KJHburg]

from the morning update of the CBJ about AvidXchange Charlotte's first $2 Billion tech upstart

""AvidXchange Inc., one of Charlotte’s three unicorns, has raised another $260 million in an ongoing funding round that could bring its valuation to what reports peg at close to $2 billion. With the latest infusion of capital, the automated payments company has now raised more than $800 million in its 20-year history, AvidXchange said in a news release. Private equity firm TPG Sixth Street Partners led the current round and is part of an investor list for AvidXchange that also includes Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) and PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) founder Peter Thiel.  The new capital will help AvidXchange’s growth and innovation, it said, “allowing the company to invest in its solutions for both buyers and suppliers while reaching more customers in the middle market.”  “More than 60% of U.S. businesses still pay bills with paper checks, accounting for more than $2.7 trillion in administrative costs annually," said Michael Praeger, CEO and co-founder of AvidXchange, in a statement. "We're shaping the future of the B2B payments industry by fundamentally changing the way businesses pay their bills, providing a single platform for AP and payments with the largest payments network for the middle market."""

 

[KJHburg]

from the Charlotte INNO newsletter put out by American City Biz Journals

""German Tech Company Names CLT for North American HQ
AnyDesk, a Germany-based remote access software company, has announced a partnership with private capital and private equity firm Insight Partners. The move, which included an undisclosed investment from Insight, will help the company in its global expansion efforts. That's not all: AnyDesk has chosen Charlotte as its North American HQ. AnyDesk CEO Philipp Weiser cited Charlotte's reputation as one America's high ranking cities for "international business and tech industry growth" as motivation behind their choice. ""

https://anydesk.com/en

Charlotte Tech rising and I was talking up the QC tech scene to someone getting into cybersecurity.  I said what do you think the banks do to keep their data and customer info safe?  KJ recruiting in Orlando. 

Edited January 24, 2020 by KJHburg