WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Revolution, Google for Entrepreneurs, and UP Global announced the next “Rise of the Rest” bus tour which will travel through the southern U.S. from May 4th to May 8th, investing a total of $500,000 in local startups and celebrating the emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems in Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston, Atlanta and New Orleans. Led by investor and entrepreneur Steve Case, the Rise of the Rest tour brings together local entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, government leaders and other advisors to champion their startup communities.
“The Rise of the Rest bus tour is heading south to some of America¹s oldest cities where entrepreneurs are creating some of the newest businesses, innovations, and jobs in Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston, Atlanta, and New Orleans,” Case said. “I look forward to celebrating the promise of these rising communities, making investments in local startups, and shining a light on the importance of entrepreneurship in the American south and across the nation.”
This will be the third Rise of the Rest bus tour, and the first one in the southern U.S. To date, Case has invested in nine local startups during previous bus tours, including in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Madison, Des Moines and St. Louis, among other cities. Partnering with Revolution on the May tour and offering expertise and support are Google for Entrepreneurs, UP Global, Salesforce for Startups, Engine, Seed Here Studio, Tech Cocktail, Startup Grind and Village Capital.
The upcoming tour will include stops in Richmond, Virginia on May 4th, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina on May 5th, Charleston, South Carolina on May 6th, Atlanta, Georgia on May 7th and New Orleans, Louisiana on May 8th. In each city the Revolution team and partners will:
- Visit local startups, accelerators and incubators
- Hold public events with Steve Case, local entrepreneurs, investors, elected officials, civic leaders and others to discuss the local startup ecosystem
- Run a pitch competition with a panel of all-star judges who decide which companies will receive $100,000 investments
- Celebrate at a party and networking event for local leaders in each startup community
More information on the Rise of the Rest bus tour including times and locations for specific events in each city, is available at www.riseofrest.com and by following #riseofrest on Twitter and Instagram.
About Revolution
A Washington, DC-based investment firm founded by Steve Case in 2005, Revolution¹s mission is to build disruptive, innovative companies that offer consumers more choice, convenience, and control in their lives. Revolution seeks to create significant value for companies that are attacking large, traditional industries with innovative new products and services. The Revolution team brings proven expertise in scaling up companies and helping to expand niche ideas into mass appeal. For more information, please visit: www.revolution.com or follow us on Twitter @revolution.
About Google for Entrepreneurs
Google for Entrepreneurs provides financial support and the best of Google's resources to dozens of coworking spaces and community programs across 125 countries. The organization also create Campuses: physical hubs where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, and build companies that will change the world. To learn more about Google for Entrepreneurs, visit google.com/entrepreneurs or follow us on G+ (+GoogleForEntrepreneurs) and Twitter (@GoogleForEntrep).
About UP Global
UP Global, the umbrella organization for Startup Weekend, Startup Next, Startup Digest, and Startup Education currently fosters entrepreneurship in 600 cities across the world, serving over 150,000 innovators. By 2016, the organization will support 1,000 communities through partnerships with local grassroots leaders and partnerships with organizations including Google for Entrepreneurs, the Case Foundation and Kauffman Foundation among others. For more information, visit up.co or follow us on Twitter @UPGlobalHQ.
