Should the state invest in N.C. startups?
A Durham investment leader floated two startup support ideas for North Carolina. I’m skeptical of both, but let's discuss
I was listening to the North Carolina Business Minds podcast the other day when two ideas caught my attention.
The guest was Jason Caplain, co-founder of Bull City Venture Partners. After walking through his background as an early employee at Red Hat and his path to becoming one of the Triangle’s most established venture capitalists, they got to the part I found most interesting: What should North Carolina actually do to help more startups grow here?
The first was to bring back state tax credits for individual investors who put money into North Carolina startups.
The second was for North Carolina to set up a public-private entity that invests in startups, similar to how Virginia has Virginia Venture Partners.
I always appreciate thoughtful ideas for public policy, and both of these, on the face, sound reasonable. So let’s look at both of them.
Tax credits for startup investors
Starting in 1987, North Carolina offered a program that allowed people who invested in state-based startups to clai…