✈️ Yesterday's Captain Circle was all about smart financing for startups. We were fortunate to welcome Andrew Schatz and Nick Wilker from CSC Leasing, who shared their deep expertise on how founders can creatively extend their cash runway. With more than 40 years of experience, CSC Leasing has grown from computer hardware leasing into a respected leader in venture leasing. They showed our community how startups can use leasing options for mission critical equipment, office furniture, and even payroll. Unlocking flexibility that traditional funding sources often cannot provide. One standout: CSC Leasing’s ability to lease equipment that resides at a customer site. It is a practical, adaptable approach that can help startups scale faster while protecting valuable cash. Our founders loved the real-world examples CSC Leasing shared, highlighting how others have successfully leveraged leasing to overcome challenges. 👏 A HUGE thank you to CSC Leasing for not only empowering our founders with actionable strategies, but also sponsoring our monthly Captain Circle lunch. Thank you to Jennifer Murray, MBA, SPHR, for facilitating our Captain's Circle lunch! 💕 #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Ecosystem #EquipmentLeasing #Innovation #RTP
First Flight Venture Center
Non-profit Organization Management
Durham, North Carolina 4,453 followers
High-science, high-impact incubator located in the heart of Research Triangle Park
About us
First Flight (FFVC) is a science and technology incubator located in the heart of Research Triangle Park. Established in 1991 to serve the initial needs of entrepreneurs and early stage companies. FFVC strives to produce companies that graduate from the facility as financially viable and freestanding businesses. These incubator graduates migrate into the mainstream of the business community, creating jobs and commercializing important new technologies that contribute to a stronger North Carolina economy. We have more than 30 years experience in successfully launching new businesses in North Carolina. This success lies in First Flight’s turnkey approach—the ability to enable tenant businesses to reduce both their initial capitalization requirements and their annual operation costs by providing affordable space with flexible leases, shared business services, technology support services, and management guidance and counseling. FFVC offers 25,000 square feet of leasable office and laboratory space for up to 40 emerging technology companies.
- Website
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http://www.ffvcnc.org
External link for First Flight Venture Center
- Industry
- Non-profit Organization Management
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Durham, North Carolina
- Type
- Public Company
- Founded
- 1991
- Specialties
- research, science, engineering, prototyping, networking, mentoring, laboratory, business, and startup
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
2 Davis Dr
Durham, North Carolina 27709, US
Employees at First Flight Venture Center
Updates
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🎉Come celebrate NC Innovation at our 2024 SBIR Showcase on September 19th! Join us for a half-day celebration spotlighting North Carolina companies making big strides with SBIR and STTR funding, America’s largest seed fund. Since 2018, First Flight’s FAST program has helped startups win competitive grants to turn bold science and tech ideas into reality. Connect with innovators, hear success stories, and discover how non-dilutive funding is fueling breakthroughs. 🏆 At the Showcase, we will be announcing grant awards from NC IDEA and Wells Fargo too! Shout out to our sponsor, TowneBank! We are so grateful for your support. 🙏 📅September 19th ⌚1 - 5:30PM 📍First Flight Venture Center SIGN UP HERE!👇 https://lnkd.in/eUH-iDaN #RTP #Innovation #SBIRSTTR #NorthCarolina #Startup
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Join us on Tuesday, September 2nd at 8:30 am for Test Flight Pitch Practice. ✈️ This month we are excited to host... 🎤 Edison Hudson with Oneful Health OneFul Health's mission is to improve the quality of life for millions of patients through personalized medicine produced with patented pharmacy technology. Our e-pharmacy platform combines precision medicine science and robotic automation to create multi-drug prescriptions as a capsule or easy-to-swallow gel packet. 🎤 Kuntal De with PAN Biologics PAN Biologics is developing cutting-edge biologics solutions that target the signaling pathways for cancer therapies. Come by First Flight to listen in and support our founders. Sign-Up Today!👇🏻 https://lnkd.in/eVUdWW3V #TestFlight #PitchPractice #scienceandtechnology
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What a lunch! 😄🙌 The First Flight community gathered for a potluck this afternoon, and it was a reminder of what makes this place so special... the people. From resident companies to our team, everyone came together to share good food, laughter, and connection. Innovation happens every day inside these walls, but moments like this show how strong our community truly is. ✈️ Grateful for the collaboration, the energy, and yes, the delicious recipes. Our First Flight Community is the best! 💕 #Innovation #founders #Community #Incubator #nonprofit
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A huge thank you to the incredible speakers, international participants, and companies who joined us for the Wingspan 4-Hour Information Session this week! 👏👏👏 🌎 🌱 From the vibrant Research Triangle ecosystem in North Carolina to global agrifoodtech innovators, this session was rich with actionable insights on: ✅ North Carolina’s dynamic agrifoodtech landscape: Featuring premier research universities, corporate R&D centers, and 300+ agtech and life sciences companies ✅ Why NC stands out: As an affordable entry point with deep talent, access to industry giants like Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta, and proximity to critical growers and supply chains ✅ Navigating U.S. market entry and winning customer access strategies ✅ Immigration pathways and entity formation essentials ✅ Taxation, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance processes ✅ Venture funding landscape and effective go-to-market strategies 🙏 Special appreciation to our stellar lineup of expert speakers: Krista Covey, Dr. Adrian Percy, Dr. Bhaskar Venepalli, Charlotte Smith, Carol L. Holland Spencer Waspi, Chris Williams, Goran Vukicevic, CPA, Dr. Suma Chakravarthy, Scott Bryant, Gautam Aggarwal, Karen LeVert, Dr. Phil Taylor, and Dr. Emir Islamovic. Your expertise truly illuminated this session. 🙏 A special shoutout to Innovate360 and their amazing GMEP startups. Thank you for actively participating and supporting this journey. Your involvement exemplifies the strength of global collaboration in catalyzing agrifoodtech innovation. ✈️ Wingspan is about bridging global startups with North Carolina’s powerful innovation ecosystem, research prowess, and commercialization avenues. Together, we’re shaping the future of agrifoodtech. Here’s to continued growth and collaboration! 🌱🌎 Dr. Balaji Vasudevan, Ph.D., Ashley Davis #Wingspan #AgriFoodTech #InnovationBridge #Startups #FirstFlightVentureCenter #RTP #GlobalStartups #InnovationEcosystem
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First Flight Venture Center reposted this
Follower of Jesus | John 3:16 | Green Beret | Leadership Coach | Tech Champion | Servant Leader
Call to Action: North Carolina Must Lead in Drone Dominance On August 22, 2025, the North Carolina Veteran's Business Association partnered with First Flight Venture Center, Ukrainians in the Carolinas, and Dignitas Ukraine as we launched VETS2TECH, to bring battlefield lessons straight from Ukraine to NC. The message from commanders Col. Vadym Sukharevskyi, Ross, and Dignitas Lyuba Shipovich was clear: → UGVs save lives in resupply and evacuation. → FPV drones dominate 20–50 km kill zones. → 60% of drone graduates fail certification without combat-ready training. → Imported drones collapse unless re-engineered with soldier input, and through embedded co-development. → Counter-drone defense requires integration of radar, EW, and kinetic response. At the national level, the urgency is unmistakable: → The White House Executive Order on Drone Dominance (June 6, 2025) called for unleashing American unmanned innovation. → The Secretary of Defense’s Drone Dominance Memo (July 10, 2025) declared: “Drone dominance is a process race as much as a technological race.” → The Army’s Project Flytrap shows how embedding industry with operators accelerates real-world solutions. North Carolina has the ecosystem to lead. → Manufacture combat-ready drones and autonomous systems for deployment on land, sea, and air. → Build rapid training pipelines. → Advance AI for air, land, and maritime drones. → Lead in integrated counter-drone innovation. → Back it with state-level leadership and funding. The Secretary of Defense said it plainly: “The only risk is risk-avoidance.” The time for North Carolina to act is now. Reference: The White House. (2025, June 6). Unleashing American drone dominance [Executive Order]. Retrieved from https://lnkd.in/guj4nYYq 👉 Let’s seize this moment to ensure NC anchors America’s future in drone dominance. "First in Flight" #DroneDominance #UnmannedSystems #DefenseInnovation #CounterDrone #NationalSecurity #NorthCarolina #VeteranEntrepreneurs #DualUseTech #DoDInnovation #UkraineLessons Laura Rodgers Marianeth C. 🇺🇦Olena U. Olena Kozlova-Pates Dignitas Ukraine Ukrainians in the Carolinas Dan Barkin Nicholas Vandre
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🌱 Calling All Rural Innovators in North Carolina! Are you a founder or small business owner in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 county? The “Rural Entrepreneur Funding Application – NC IDEA powered by First Flight Venture Center” is now open! We're excited to support your next big step with grants of up to $2,500 per startup/founder for a total of 10 businesses. This special funding opportunity is designed just for entrepreneurs in North Carolina’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as recognized by the NC Department of Commerce. If your business is located in one of these eligible counties, this is your chance to receive direct support for growth and impact. What can you use the funding for? ✨ Patent analysis ✨ Legal services ✨ Data room preparation ✨ Market research ✨ Technical assistance ✨ Pitch deck development Who should apply? • Entrepreneurs in deep science sectors such as Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technology, Lifesciences, Health tech, MedTech, Food & Beverage, Synthetic Biology and others • Idea-stage, early-stage, or growing businesses serving rural communities. Application is simple: Tell us about your business, how you serve rural North Carolina, and how the funding will help you grow. You’ll select your county from our Tier 1 and Tier 2 list and upload a brief business plan or executive summary. Final step: Review your info, agree to participate in future webinars or follow-up, and hit SUBMIT! 📌 Ready to apply or want more info? Drop your details, tell your story, and become part of an empowering cohort of rural entrepreneurs moving North Carolina forward. Don’t miss out! APPLY TODAY! 👉https://wkf.ms/3HquMRw #NCIDEA #FirstFlightVentureCenter #RuralEntrepreneur #NorthCarolina #StartupFunding #SmallBusinessSupport #GrantOpportunity
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🎬 Innovation in Action, Right at Home "I may be tall, but i'm not this tall... haha I'm going to need a chair." - Ben Provan😂 One of the best parts of having our very own in-house prototyping studio, Hangar6, is seeing creativity come to life right here at First Flight Venture Center. Our Hangar6 Director, Ben Provan, recently teamed up with Gennarose McDermed to design and produce brand-new wall decor that now brightens our space: ✅ A bold map of North Carolina ✅ A map showcasing our global vision ✅ A custom sign to showcase all the amazing resident companies that call First Flight home for their innovations Having access to this kind of talent and technology under our own roof means we can keep building a space that inspires founders, fosters collaboration, and showcases the incredible work happening within our walls. ✈️ We’re proud to be a place where ideas don’t just take flight, they leave a mark. #Innovation #RTP #Nonprofit #BusinessIncubator #startup #founders #ecosystem
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Flight Team Friday: Meet Our Director of Ecosystem Development, Andrea Stevenson Conner! From living in four countries to building bridges across North Carolina's innovation ecosystem, she's all about connection. At First Flight, her superpower is bringing people together. First Flight is proud to have leaders on our team who turn collaboration into real impact. Visit https://lnkd.in/gF9_bhDN to see more of our innovative and collaborative team!
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⏳ ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS to sign up for our Wingpsan Information Session on August 26th! Asia’s Boldest AgriFoodTech, Synthetic Biology Innovators... Your U.S. Expansion Journey Starts NOW! ✈️ Are you an ambitious startup, scaleup, or growth-stage company in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, or Taiwan developing breakthrough solutions in: 🔺Controlled Environment Ag 🔺Synthetic Biology; Fermentation 🔺Crop Genetics; Biotech 🔺Precision AgTech; Robotics 🔺Alternative Proteins; Functional Foods 🔺Food Safety; Traceability 🔺Regenerative; Climate-Smart Ag 🔺Ag Data Marketplaces; Fintech 🔺Soil Health; Biofertilizers 🔺Food Processing, Packaging, Shelf-Life Innovation First Flight will be hosting a Wingspan 4-Hour Info Session for AgriFoodTech Startups 🌱 Learn how First Flight’s Wingspan program helps international startups make a soft landing and grow in the North Carolina innovation ecosystem through: ✅ Tap into North Carolina’s AgriFoodTech ecosystem with 300+ ag & bio companies, top-tier research universities, and strategic access to U.S. supply chains and exports ✅ Connect directly with industry leaders from Bayer, BASF, JP Morgan, EDPNC, and more, plus experts in immigration, IP, and U.S. regulations ✅ Get a proven U.S. market entry playbook covering visas, incorporation, banking, tax, compliance, FDA/USDA regulations, and building corporate partnerships ✅ Learn from real startup success stories and engage in live Q&A sessions to get practical advice tailored to your expansion goals 📅 Aug 26, 2025 ⌚8:30 AM – 12:30 PM EST (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) - 18:00 - 22:00 IST (India Standard Time) - 20:30 - 00:30 SGT/MYT (Singapore/Malaysia Time) Sign up today! Take the first step toward soft-landing your startup in the U.S. 👉https://wkf.ms/4fna3KY #UnitedStates #agrifoodtech #Wingspan #StartupAsia #NorthCarolina #agtech
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