ASHEVILLE – A selection of 15 fast-growing startups representing tech, food and beverage, apparel and education industries will be recognized for their contributions to Asheville’s innovation ecosystem at an awards ceremony on Thursday night.

The program, Venture 15, is the first of its kind organized by Venture Asheville, an entrepreneurship initiative launched out of the Asheville-Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce.

The companies will be revealed live during the event, taking place December 6 from 6-9 p.m. at Isis Music Hall. They’ve been chosen based on their Compound Annual Growth Rate, calculated through year-end revenue figures. According to data provided by Venture Asheville, the average age of the companies is 4.6 years, they’ve generated nearly $52 million in revenue in 2018, seven companies are female-founded and 11 have co-founders.

Of the 15 companies to be awarded, 11 are past, current or future participants of Elevate, Venture Asheville’s business development and mentorship program. The latest cohort of Elevate will be announced Thursday night.

Venture Asheville will also present the winners of its “Honors” recognition. Chosen by an open nomination and selection committee, Venture Asheville Honors recipients include a mentor, an investor, an entrepreneur, a resource program of the year, as well as a “Shining Rock” award, given to a particularly dedicated and resilient entrepreneur in the community.

The video below features a few Venture Asheville Honors nominees—Supportedly Co-Founder and COO Stephanie Kissel, Christine Garvin of Christine Garvin Dance + Transform, investor Miller Williams and Start100 Advisor Chris Buehler.

Venture Asheville has launched the Venture 15 program at an opportune moment marking the region’s economic development and growth, paving the way for its positioning as a hub for entrepreneurship in Western North Carolina.

Jeff Kaplan, director of Venture Asheville, says the ecosystem has “sprinted forward” over the last four or five years. The population is growing, more founders are moving to the area and startups are achieving more profit.

“We spend all of our energy looking forward, we dedicate all of our time to new solutions, or filling gaps in the ecosystem—we haven’t taken a moment to pause and look at how much we’ve achieved,” Kaplan says. “For a little town known for beer and tourism, we’ve developed a thriving startup ecosystem. This event is a showcase of the founders, mentors, investors, and support providers who’ve manifested a true entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Kaplan says he expects around 250 founders, startup team employees, investors, partners and other members of the Asheville startup community to attend.

“I expect this event to kick off many more relationships,” Kaplan added. “We don’t have many opportunities to bring this many people from all the different parts of the ecosystem together in one place. The celebrating is fun, the food will be great, but the Venture 15 and Venture Asheville honors [will] be remembered for the doors it opens and connections it makes.”

Tickets to the event, priced at $20, are available on Eventbrite.

https://wraltechwire.com/event/venture-15-awards-and-venture-asheville-honors/