July 22, 2010
SC Launch Program Recognized by Forbes Magazine as a Top Five Program in the Nation
Charleston, SC – July 7, 2010 – SC Launch, an SCRA collaboration, was recently recognized by Forbes magazine in May as one of five top programs in the nation that support entrepreneurism. The “States that Truly Bet on Small Business” also recognized the SC Launch program as one of eleven “Serious State Small Biz Programs.”
The SC Launch program has garnered a number of awards and recognition since its 2006 inception. The program offers qualifying companies commercialization support, guidance, and seed funding.
As a joint venture between SCRA and the research foundations of the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and Clemson University, SC Launch’s mission is to support the commercialization of research, to finance start-up and spin-out companies, and to provide formation support and other business services to companies as prescribed by the mandates in the SC Innovation Centers Act and the SC Industry Partners Act. The program’s ultimate objective is to help develop South Carolina’s growing Knowledge Economy.
The Forbes list was prepared with the assistance of CB Insights, a Manhattan firm that tracks private-company funding trends, including venture capital, private equity, and government-supported deals.
According to Anand Sanwal, a CB Insights founding partner, “These programs take different forms but generally represent a great way to spur local economic development and bring and retain high-tech jobs to the area. Over time, their efforts will likely attract angel and venture investment which serves to strengthen their area's entrepreneurial ecosystem further."
Since the start of the SC Launch Program four years ago, SC Launch has assisted, helped form and/or land more than 230 knowledge-based entities in South Carolina, providing both funding and services to more than 178. The Program has attracted more than $104 million in add-on, private equity investment in South Carolina companies. SC Launch is one of over 100 programs in SCRA’s overall operations, which have made a cumulative economic contribution of more than $13.7B to South Carolina since 1983.
“The SC Launch program was formed to help move promising technologies into the market place, and to advance technology-based companies in South Carolina,” said SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. “We have enjoyed partnering with some of South Carolina’s best talent to bring tangible growth to our Knowledge Economy. Our portfolio companies continue to both improve our lives and expand our knowledge-based economy through their innovations, their growth of high-quality jobs, and private investment. We are humbled to accept recognition on behalf of these efforts.”
Added SC Launch Executive Director Dave McNamara, “We are honored to be listed among such other successful programs throughout the nation. The SC Launch team works to be a catalyst and advocate for developing technology start-up companies in our state. In four short years, we have been able to achieve many successes, and we look forward to the continued growth of the SC Launch program and its legacy for South Carolina.”
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About SCRA
http:/www.scra.org
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with its headquarters in South Carolina. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing technology-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, with the help of research universities in SC, the US and around the world.About SC Launch
http://www.sclaunch.org
SC Launch, an SCRA collaboration, assists entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerful resource network. The SC Launch mission is to help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state’s quality of life and provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy.
Events
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TEDActive 2012
Event Date: February 27-2, 2012
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NYC BigApps 3.0 Hackathon
Event Date: November 11-13, 2011
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Ingenuity 2011
Event Date: October 5-6, 2011
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Prepping to Pitch: Non-Debt-Based Financing For Green/Tech Businesses
Event Date: June 16-17, 2011
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NYC@Boston Day
Event Date: May 5-6, 2011
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Venture Talks: A Conversation with Amish and Rick
Event Date: March 24-25, 2011
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General Assembly + Gramercy Labs Speaker Series
Event Date: March 10, 2011
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Montgomery Technology Conference
Event Date: March 8-9, 2011
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OnMedia NYC 2011
Event Date: January 31-2, 2011
