Economic Development Reports

The 2024 Charlotte Startup Ecosystem Report (CSER24), produced by Innovate Charlotte and funded by the City of Charlotte and the Principal Foundation, provides a data-driven analysis of Charlotte’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The report explores Charlotte’s performance compared to peer cities, trends in venture capital, insights from entrepreneurs and investors, and key opportunities for growth.

The Small Business Ecosystem Assessment was conducted by TPMA, a national workforce and economic development consulting firm, in partnership with the City of Charlotte’s Economic Development Department, identifies opportunities and also gaps in services to help small businesses grow and become more sustainable. TPMA surveyed 860 Charlotte area small business owners for the report, which was released in May 2025.

In late 2020, Charlotte Economic Development partnered with SIR, a market research and consulting firm, to create a Strategic Employment Growth Framework for Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s employment ecosystem. The data from the project also helped to inform and direct federal ARPA decision-making for the city.

The reports were released in February 2022.