Mountain BizWorks is celebrating a decade of ScaleUp as it opens applications for the fourteenth cohort of the transformative program. Designed to help existing small businesses reach their growth potential across Western North Carolina, ScaleUp has served more than 200 growing companies across 13 cohorts since its 2015 launch. The program is open to founders in 26 WNC counties, encouraging small business growth across the region.
Applications for the 14th cohort are now open through January 15, 2026, with the program officially kicking off on March 13, 2026. ScaleUp WNC provides established businesses with the strategic guidance, peer networks, and resources needed to reach their next level of growth, creating jobs and economic opportunity throughout Western North Carolina in the process.
“ScaleUp is about unlocking potential. It’s for founders who’ve proven they can build something solid and are now ready to go bigger with intention,” said Gwynne Rukenbrod-Smith, Business Growth Specialist at Mountain BizWorks. “This program gives them the tools and a supportive network as they scale. Over the 10 years of the program, we’ve seen businesses quadruple their revenue, create quality jobs, and redefine what success looks like in Western North Carolina.”
Participants in ScaleUp Cohort 14 will receive intensive growth management training and develop actionable plans in a supportive peer-to-peer environment. The program begins with a kickoff event and continues through eight core sessions focused on strategic growth planning, leadership, and scaling operations. Each business will also receive 10 hours of one-on-one technical assistance and $1,000 to put their growth strategies into action.
For 2026, up to 15 WNC-based businesses will be selected for the new cohort. Applicants should meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be a for-profit company based in one of WNC’s 26 counties
- Have been in business for at least two years
- Ideally have annual revenues between $150,000 and $2.5 million
- Employ at least one full-time person (including founder/owner)
- Have identified specific opportunities for expansion
Applications are now open. Learn more about eligibility and evaluation criteria, and apply by January 15, 2026, at ScaleUpWNC.com.
Mountain BizWorks extends its gratitude to the partners supporting ScaleUp WNC 2026: Abundance Capital, First Horizon Foundation, Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville, Mars Hill University Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and McGuire Wood & Bissette Law Firm.
