Citrix, Red Hat Helping Startup Companies Launch in Raleigh, N.C.
IBM (IBM), Citrix (CTXS), and Red Hat (RHT) are just a few of the technology companies with operations in Raleigh, North Carolina, where there are several new initiatives underway to attract even more tech jobs. According to local economic development officials, Raleigh has seen a 23% increase in IT jobs in the first half of this year. Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane said one selling point for her city is the Research Triangle, and the concentration of universities in the area. ‘We have an incredible amount of talent, and that’s key to bringing companies to the area,’ said Mayor McFarlane. ‘We understand that it’s about creating a place that people want to live. It’s a very different economy now. People will go where they want to live and build their own company.’ Raleigh is currently home to more than 400 startups, and is now partnering with Citrix and Red Hat to promote an accelerator program designed to bring more startup companies to the region. The program allows employees from Citrix to take several months off from their day job to work on an idea, while partnering up with startup firms that receive a $25,00 grant to work on their projects. The accelerator program is accepting applications until August 12.
