Startup Surge

Entrepreneurs flock to Wilmington, or were they already here?

By Vera Wilson

Lo and behold, Wilmington has landed on yet another top 10 list—but this time, it’s not because more people are moving to our little slice of paradise than anywhere else. According to the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab, Wilmington ranks No. 8 among the 10 most entrepreneurial cities in the United States.

Based on their analysis of more than 50,000 microbusinesses—defined as those with fewer than 10 employees, a unique domain name and an active website—Wilmington launched 6,734 new ventures last year, a 36 percent increase from 2023. GoDaddy calls Wilmington and other small cities that made the list “unexpected underdogs emerging as entrepreneurial powerhouses.”

So, why Wilmington? Are we attracting entrepreneurial types to the region, or are they homegrown?

Heather McWhorter, director of UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), believes it’s both.

“It certainly takes an entrepreneurial mindset to pick up and move to a new community and just to be able to figure out how to make it work, right? And there's a lot of research about entrepreneurial mindset, which is the desire to choose your own destiny, basically,” she explains. 

“I also believe that living along the coast has a lot to do with the resilience of our entrepreneurs. There’s also been research about how water can help people be more creative and more innovative,” she continues.

For entrepreneurs to grow and thrive, they need a robust startup ecosystem—a supportive, collaborative culture of people, organizations and resources. Wilmington has all of that in spades.

Like many cities, Wilmington has several enterprises designed to nurture entrepreneurs, but what may set us apart is The Coalition. Established in 2016, it’s an alliance of 17 nonprofits that, according to their website, “collaborate and leverage resources to boost awareness about all small business education and counseling resources available in the Cape Fear region.” In simpler terms, it’s one-stop shopping for the aspiring or established entrepreneur. Some of their members include CIE, the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), the Small Business and Technology Development Center, Channel by Live Oak Bank and even AARP.

“We get together monthly and talk about our upcoming programs,” McWhorter says. “We do things together to make sure that we’re reaching all the entrepreneurs and small businesses that we can.”

Local government and related organizations also help set the stage for entrepreneurs to prosper. By continually striving to improve schools, parks and infrastructure—all integral to the quality of life—the city helps attract people who want to pursue their dreams.

Funded by the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (also a member of The Coalition) advocates for local businesses, large and small. They offer talent and leadership development programs, along with networking opportunities like the Women’s Business Council.

Entrepreneurs may have great ideas and expertise, but without proper funding, they’re unlikely to get far. Fortunately, Wilmington startups are on the radar of venture capital firms and angel networks looking to invest in the next big thing.

“NEW does an excellent job of gathering investors and entrepreneurs together so they get to know each other,” McWhorter says. “They bring in investors from Charleston, Raleigh, etc., into Wilmington.” NEW recently held its third standing-room-only Investor Buzz In event, where local talent interacted with investors.

The county and city provide grants to local nonprofits (yes, nonprofits are businesses, too) through their Economic Development and Civic Development Partner Agency Funding programs. 

Also vital to the ecosystem are institutions of higher education and access to mentors. UNCW and Cape Fear Community College provide the talent pool many startups are seeking. Retirees in the area, who were experienced business professionals, often volunteer with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) to advise entrepreneurs of all ages. A case in point is award-winning Salt & Charm Catering.

Topping the list of Wilmington startups these days are companies in financial or health technology. The 2025 recipient of the Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year Award was Frontier Scientific Solutions, a logistics company for pharmaceuticals. Apiture, a provider of digital banking solutions, was a recent winner in the Technology category.

The local entrepreneurial spotlight is also shining on the blue economy, which UNCW defines as “the global concept to align ocean economic growth with sustainable ocean and coastal health.” With UNCW’s marine sciences program and the second-largest coastline and river estuary in the country, we’re uniquely positioned to take the lead. Consider Nautigen, which focuses on marine biomolecular exploration, or Trident Culture Company, which aims to educate people about local seafood production and its environmental and economic impact.

Thanks to our inspiring coastal beauty and exceptional startup support system, Wilmington’s entrepreneurial economy is clearly here to stay.