Everyone wants to go to Silicon Valley, New York, and even Boston to find a technical co-founder, attract the attention of Venture Capitalists and start the next BIG thing in tech. It’s like a pilgrimage to the promised land. But what about the south? You do know that there’s more to the south than good down home cooking, right? It’s not all country below the Mason Dixon line.

Take Raleigh/Durham, NC or example. My current hometown. When you think of this place you probably think of the obvious. College basketball and Barbecue. And for good reason. You can get the best of both here. Eastern North Carolina (Vinegar-Based) BBQ, and the best of college hoops. I’m a Tarheel fan myself. Let’s not mention those other 2 schools located in Raleigh and Durham.

But what about what’s happening on the tech/web startup scene? BIG moves are happening here that may seem to fly under the radar just because it didn’t happen in Silicon Valley, or Silicon Alley. One of my favorite shows is “Small Empires” on The Verge. It brings to light the stories of some amazing web startup companies and their founders. But, they are all located in New York City. This makes sense because the show’s creator and host, Reddit Cofounder Alexis Ohanian, is a proud Brooklyn resident. But what about Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, and other lesser known but thriving areas of the country?

Let’s just list all that Raleigh/Durham has to offer and what it has accomplished in the startup field thus far.

HERE’S THE REPORT CARD

Successful Tech/Web Startups (The ELITE 8)

1. ReverbNation
2. appia
3. Bronto
4. iContact
5. Channel Advisor
6. eTix
7. LuLu
8. Shoeboxed

*Check out many more startups in the area HERE.

Venture Capitalists

1. IDEA Fund Partners
2. Pappas Ventures
3. Intersouth Partners
4. Southern Capital Ventures
5. Aurora Funds
6. Hatteras Venture Partners
7. Southeast Interactive Technology Funds
8. SJF Ventures

Web Development Bootcamps

1. The Iron Yard

Startup Incubators

1. LaunchBox Digital

Startup Accelerator Programs

1. The Iron Yard
2. NCIDEA
3. Bull City Forward
4. Launch Chapel Hill

Hack Spaces/Coworking Space

1. Splat Space
2. American Underground
3. 1789 Venture Lab

Tech/Web Meetups

1. The Triangle Ruby Brigade

Triangle Startup Weekend

So there you have it. As you can see, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina has a thriving startup community. Don’t sleep on the Research Triangle. There’s more than just basketball and bbq to see as you travel down Interstate 85. This is the home of tobacco road’s legendary basketball rivalry that has birthed some of the greatest players of all-time. And delicious red sauce does run through the veins of North Carolinians. But the area offers much more than that. Its a tech hub with soul. Not just soul food.