Fortune recognized 5 Tech Startups to Watch in Durham, N.C.

“The old tobacco town of Durham is ablaze with tech know-how, home to companies large (IBM IBM 0.30% , EMC EMC 0.34% ) and small. Many are part of ­American ­Underground, a community by the former campus of the ­American ­Tobacco Co.”

—"5 Tech Startups to Watch in Durham, N.C." Richard Morgan, Fortune

Durham recognized for addressing diversity problems in the start-up sector

"Of the companies to come out of American Underground in 2015, for instance, about 30 percent are led by women and 22 percent are led by minorities. That’s significantly higher than most (admittedly fuzzy and tech-focused) estimates elsewhere for either group, which put the share of female-led ventures below 20 percent and the share of minority led-ventures below 10 percent." 

— "Is a Different Kind of Silicon Valley Possible?" Gillian B. White, The Atlantic

Durham highlighted as exemplory city

"The consultants who drafted Canton's comprehensive plan see Durham as a picture of what Canton could be, based on what Durham was."

— "SPECIAL REPORT: Durham, N.C., could have lessons for Canton" Alison Matas, Canton Rep

CNBC features Mati Energy and American Underground

"Just a few years ago, American Underground was an abandoned tobacco warehouse, it's now a thriving startup scene, laying the foundation for entrepreneurs like Birgisson to call Durham home."

— "Durham, NC sparks a Tobacco Road business revival" Kate Rogers, CNBC

Washington Post Covers Rise of the Rest in Durham

"Steve Case...one of the founders of America Online and now one of the country’s most renowned tech investors, [was] on stage in front of a packed house at the historic Carolina Theater in Durham, N.C. It was the second of five such events comprising Case’s latest Rise of the Rest tour, during which his team is traveling across the Southeast to celebrate under-the-radar entrepreneurship hubs by holding pitch contests and awarding $100,000 to one young company in each city."

—"On a day of pitches, Case, Durham and ArchiveSocial throw strikes," J.D. Harrison, The Washington Post

CNN Money Features American Underground Entrepreneurship

""Great business ideas aren't getting the opportunity to come to market because the tech community of startups and investors lacks diversity," said Adam Klein, chief strategist with the Durham, N.C.-based accelerator."

— "Wanted: Female Entrepreneurs," CNN Money

Business Inside Profiles "Awesome" American Tobacco Campus

"Durham, North Carolina has long been a center for innovation in tech, thanks in part to the universities of the Research Triangle. But now the city of 286,000 is becoming a hub for young companies looking to get their ideas off the ground."

— "Check out the awesome campus that is transforming Durham, North Carolina into a startup hub," Madeline Stone, Business Insider

Chronicle of Higher Education Profiles Durham's Research Parks

Durham's tech, research, and education were the subject of a profile, "Seeking Hip Worker Environs, Universities Remake Research Parks," by Paul Baskin in The Chronicle of Higher Education on October, 21, 2014.

CNET Profiles Durham's Tech Scene

"Adam Klein, chief strategist for American Underground, an incubator that has expanded from 35 startups to 150 in three locations in Durham and Raleigh in four years, rattled off a list of quality-of-life perks that have kept him in the area. "I can live downtown at half the cost. I cut my commute down to five minutes, and I'm still a direct flight to Boston, New York, or San Francisco. It's a progressive community, well educated, with lots of people from other countries," he said, also noting a burgeoning restaurant and craft beer scene. "And the weather doesn't hurt.""

— "Vexed in the city: San Francisco strife spurs tech defectors elsewhere," Ben Fox Rubin and Joan E. Solsman, CNET

The Atlantic - Durham's Startup Culture

"Durham is a fascinating example of what happens when a community bands together to try to attract entrepreneurs. They've set up all the mechanisms and institutions to foster innovation and now they're waiting to see if startup culture can take root. The city itself has "great bones," as they say, with a dense downtown core filled with beautiful old-timey architecture... Durham is one big, Groupon-like success story away from a wave of coverage about how good the area is for tech companies."

- Durham's Innovation Ecosystem, The Atlantic