AN EPIC VENTURE.

• Position: NC TREND: Vital signs: News and numbers from across the state

North Carolina companies brought in more than $2.7 billion in venture funding, a 144% increase from 2017, according to Durham-based Council for Entrepreneurial Development's 2018 Innovators report. Epic Games came out on top, setting a state record by raising $1.25 billion last year. The Cary-based video game company is valued at $15 billion, making it the ninth-most valuable private tech company in the U.S., according to Business Insider.

Here are some of the most interesting takeaways from the report:

* Durham's Humacyte Inc. was the second-largest fundraiser in the state with $255 million gathered in 2018. Precision BioSciences, also in Durham, was No. 3 with $110 million raised.

* In 2018, the average deal size was $13.4 million, compared to $5 million in the previous H year.

* Funding in...