Columbia, SC – South Carolina Research Authority’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc., has invested in CarbonCents Inc. The $250,000 investment will help the Walhalla-based startup, founded at Clemson University, continue expanding its SAAS services that collect data to measure and reduce energy costs as well as reduce carbon footprints.
CarbonCents became an SCRA Member Company in 2022 and received a $25,000 Academic Startup Grant and a $50,000 Acceleration Grant. They also became an SC Launch Inc. Portfolio Company with this $250,000 investment.
CarbonCents is revolutionizing the energy market with software platform solutions developed in three modules, CarbonBI, SiteBI, and BuildingBI. These modules collect, measure, and supply data that enable organizations to make better decisions about their emissions and energy costs.
“The team at CarbonCents has already proven the benefits of using their software. Their system works in over 32 buildings at Clemson, yielding over 190,000 daily observations. In addition, under an initial beta project with major industry partners, their mitigation measures achieved an estimated energy savings of 17 percent,” said Investment Manager Steve Johnson. “For a university or virtually any institution or company, a 17% energy savings can be significant.”
“What we had in mind when starting CarbonCents was to help entities reduce their carbon footprint and, in turn, reduce their costs. Our state-of-the-art innovation provides those insights organizations need while helping them create healthier working environments,” said CEO and Co-Founder Tim Howard. “We thank the SCRA and SC Launch Inc. teams for supporting our mission.”
“We are excited to support a startup like CarbonCents, that is working to improve our environment,” said SCRA Executive Director Bob Quinn. “Their technology is making carbon footprint a manageable metric for organizations of any type.”
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Established in 2006, SC Launch Inc. is the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority. The independent, nonprofit corporation provides convertible loans and investment funding to qualifying SCRA Member Companies. The returns on this funding provide additional coaching and grants to next-generation technology startups.
Chartered in 1983 by the State of South Carolina as a public, nonprofit corporation, South Carolina Research Authority fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy through the impact of its four programs. SC Academic Innovations provides funding and support to advance translational research and accelerate the growth of academic startups. SC Facilities offers high-quality laboratory and administrative workspaces for technology-based startups and academic institutions. SC Industry Solutions facilitates and funds technology advancements and partnerships with industry, startups, and academic institutions. SC Launch mentors and funds technology-based startups that may also receive investments from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch, Inc.
Media Contact
Adrianne Grimes
Director of Marketing and Communications, SCRA
O: (854) 888-2033
C: (843) 277-7295
adrianne.grimes@scra.org
