Building off a decade of success at Venture Asheville, Optimist Ventures is designed to help long-term ambitious growth ventures based in Western North Carolina succeed by offering start-up funding and education through a rigorous 15-week accelerator complemented by $50,000 ($25K as grant, $25 as investment.)
Optimist Ventures is moving beyond traditional accelerator models to focus on scalable, community-rooted, and sustainable growth rather than unicorn-style returns.
Optimist Ventures is powered by Venture Asheville, the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville Buncombe County, and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Support is provided by the Dogwood Health Trust, Truist Bank Foundation, and local investors.