Sponsors
Partner with us
Reach the Southeast’s most active community of investors and founders
Vicinity Ventures brings together angel investors, community investors, founders and their advisors in more than 20 communities across the Southeast. Our sponsors are banks, law firms, accounting firms, universities and others who want to support the region’s entrepreneurs and the people who invest in them.
Why be a sponsor
What sponsors get
Access to accredited investors
Build relationships with 500+ accredited investors, many of them business owners and executives.
Early exposure to growing companies
Meet the Southeast’s next high-growth companies early. Founders stay loyal to the partners who help them grow.
Brand equity in the ecosystem
Be known as a committed supporter of the region’s entrepreneurs, in a market your competitors underserve.
Meeting access and memberships
Full-access memberships for your team, including member meetings and our investment platform.
Visibility at every meeting
Your logo on meeting materials and websites, plus collateral and short presentations at meetings.
Category exclusivity
Group-wide sponsors are the only sponsor in their business category.
Sponsorship options
Two ways to sponsor
Sponsor year-round to build lasting relationships with our members, or sponsor the Summit for two days in front of our whole community. Many sponsors do both.
| Group-wide sponsorshipYear-round | Summit sponsorshipFebruary 17–18, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | A 12-month partnership, renewed annually | A two-day event, with promotion before and during the Summit |
| Where you show up | Member meetings across our communities, all year | On stage, in exhibit space and in Summit materials |
| Audience | VentureSouth members and Vicinity investors in every community you sponsor | 250+ investors, founders, portfolio companies and partners from across the Southeast |
| Team access | Full-access memberships for your team, including our investment platform | Tickets to all Summit events for your team |
| Speaking time | Short presentations at member meetings | Keynote luncheon or session podium time, depending on level |
| Exclusivity | Category exclusivity at the top level | “Powered by” naming for the Title Sponsor |
| Best for | Building ongoing relationships with investors and founders | A concentrated burst of visibility and networking |
Group-wide sponsorship
Group-wide sponsor
Our most visible annual partnership, across every VentureSouth and Vicinity community.
- Exclusive sponsor in your business category
- Full-access memberships for your team
- Collateral and short presentations at meetings across the group
- Naming rights and a podium address at our annual Summit
Local community sponsor
Annual Silver, Gold and Platinum sponsorships focused on the community where you want to build relationships.
- One to four full-access memberships
- Logo on meeting materials and websites
- A short presentation at local meetings
- Recognition in our weekly member newsletter (Gold and Platinum)
Contact us for current pricing and availability in your category and community.
Summit sponsorship
February 17–18, 2027 · Greenville, SC
Sponsor the 2027 Vicinity Summit
Our first Vicinity Summit brings together Vicinity investors and the VentureSouth angel community for two days of curated local alternative investing, with 250+ investors, founders, portfolio companies and partners from across the Southeast.
Title Sponsor
- Summit marketed as “Powered by” your organization
- Prime logo placement on all marketing materials
- Keynote luncheon address
- Prime exhibit space and signage at all events
- Online and social media exposure
- Full-page ad in the agenda
- 8 tickets to all events
Session Sponsor
- Sponsor of the Life Sciences Track
- Logo on all marketing materials
- Podium time during the session and full member meeting
- Exhibit space
- Online and social media exposure
- Half-page ad in the agenda
- 5 tickets to all events
Element Sponsor
- Logo in the conference agenda
- Exhibit space
- Quarter-page ad in the agenda
- 3 tickets to all events
Flock
- Name listed on conference materials
- 1 ticket to all events
Seen by everyone in the room
Summit sponsors are recognized on stand-up banners, signage and conference materials throughout the event. At the 2026 VentureSouth Summit, Encore Bank was the title sponsor, alongside Furman’s Hill Institute, Venture Carolina, Burr and Forman, Dealer Financial, Fahrenheit Advisors, nextGEN, Flywheel, Payliance, Smith + Howard, Roam, Reed Smith and Russell’s Reserve.
For 2027, the title sponsor’s logo leads the banner under “Powered by”, followed by the session sponsor and element sponsors.
Our sponsors
Thank you to our current sponsors
Group-wide sponsor
Rhodes Companies
Rhodes Companies partners with small and medium-sized businesses across the Southeast, drawing on 70 years of entrepreneurial experience to help them reach their next stage of growth. Its portfolio includes Rhodes Branding, Rhodes Graduation Services, Mill and Crate and Millwood Properties.
rhodescompanies.com ↗
Banking
Encore Bank
A privately held boutique bank with a commercial focus, pairing experienced bankers with innovative technology and concierge-style service. Encore serves 17 markets, including Greenville, Charleston, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, and powered the 2026 VentureSouth Summit.
bankencore.com ↗
Accounting and advisory
Smith + Howard
A national tax, accounting and advisory firm based in Atlanta. In 2026 it combined with Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, one of South Carolina’s largest accounting firms and a long-time VentureSouth sponsor whose team prepares our members’ K-1s.
smith-howard.com ↗
University partner
Furman’s Hill Institute
Furman’s nationally awarded Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship runs pitch competitions, venture accelerators and GVL Starts. With VentureSouth, it runs the Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship, where students learn angel investing, complete a due-diligence project and can earn a paid VentureSouth internship.
furman.edu/innovation-entrepreneurship ↗Become a sponsor
Let’s talk about a partnership
Interested in a group-wide, local or Summit sponsorship? Tell us about your organization and we’ll send our sponsorship guide and set up a call.