Artist's rendition of the American Underground

DURHAM, NC – The North Carolina CED (formerly Council for Entrepreneurial Development), the start up accelerators LaunchBox Digital, and electronic game focused Joystick Labs are moving to a new space in October called the American Underground at the American Tobacco Campus (ATC) near the Durham Bulls Baseball stadium in Durham.

The new ATC space is geared toward startup companies and organizations such as CED, which is focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed.

“Innovation drives our economy and it’s what drove our decision to create The American Underground,” said Jim Goodmon, president and CEO of American Tobacco’s owner, Capitol Broadcasting Company.  “We want to be the place where entrepreneurs thrive and ideas soar.  Where we stand today, once the site of tobacco production, is now the epicenter of innovation.”

Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, the Underground will occupy the lower levels of American Tobacco’s historic Strickland and Crowe Buildings.  Features being readied include: individual tenant suites and single offices of flexible sizes, a large classroom, multiple shared ‘conference cabanas’, a common break room and a vintage arcade.

The ATC includes numerous restaurants, a Disney-designed waterfall, historic Tobacco warehouse surroundings,  and is home to WUNC-FM’s studios, Bronto Mail and Intersouth Partners, among other tenants.

It hosts numerous special events, which have included some of the CED’s.

Other firms are expected to move into the new space as well.

The CED is moving from its current space at the Research Triangle Park Alexandria Technology Center where it has been for the last four years. It will occupy 2,400 square feet of space.

Joystick Labs, which recently launched with $500,000 in funding, will use 2,000 square feet in the new space. Joystick plans to accelerate the development of new digital games.

LaunchBox Digital plans to seed fund startups in its program with about $25,000 and provide mentoring.

Previously on TechJournal South.

Game Development Accelerator Joystick Labs funded, seeks teams

Triangle Startup Factory, LaunchBox Digital Merge

Southeast Venture Conference, February 29 – March 1, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA – Where Smart Money Meets Smart People.
www.seventure.org

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Tags: American Tobacco Campus, American Underground, Bronto Mail, CED, Intersouth Partners, Joystick Labs, LaunchBox Digital