South Carolina Research Authority member company Tandem Concepts was acquired by DTN, a global data and technology leader that provides solutions for energy, agriculture, and weather-driven industries. “It’s exciting to see how our services and funding to startups position them to be an attractive option for a company like DTN,” said SCRA Interim President and CEO Bill Kirkland. “Tandem’s network of carriers and terminals complements DTN’s energy solutions to provide the most comprehensive coverage in the fuel supply chain in North America.”
Tandem Concepts became an SCRA member company in December 2022. “Over the years, their steady growth and innovative solution earned them over $100k in grants,” said SCRA Customer Solutions Director Catherine Hayes. “The demonstration grant with support from DTN provided funding for Tandem to pilot their innovative order-based execution platform, designed to ensure fuel orders are executable from creation through terminal loading.”
Tandem Concept’s Founder and CEO Drew Stypa said, “SCRA’s support and guidance were critical to our success. Without it, we would not be in the position we are in today, helping transform our industry and drive meaningful operational efficiency across one of the world’s largest and most complex supply chains. For any entrepreneur in South Carolina, I cannot emphasize enough that SCRA is the ideal place to start when taking the leap into entrepreneurship.”
DTN Chief Growth Officer Doug Bennett said, “SCRA is a powerful catalyst for the kind of breakthrough innovation that is reshaping our industry. Their support helps emerging companies bring high-impact‑ solutions to market faster, and we’ve seen how those capabilities strengthen and accelerate the advancements we’re delivering across the fuel supply chain.”
SCRA Chief Program Officer Lee MacIlwinen said, “Tandem’s tremendous success and acquisition is a textbook example of what can happen when our SC Launch program partners in the growth of early-stage startups.”
Tandem Concept’s AI-powered platform automates connections between carrier and terminal operations and reduces manual errors that cost time and money. This acquisition lays the foundation for reservation-based ordering with real-time validation and load number management between carriers and terminals.
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Chartered in 1983 by the State of South Carolina as a public, nonprofit corporation, South Carolina Research Authority fuels the state’s innovation economy through the impact of its comprehensive services to technology-based startups, academia, and industry. SCRA provides funding and support to accelerate the growth of academic startups; high-quality lab and administrative workspaces; facilitation and funding for partnerships between and among industry, startups, and academic institutions; assistance and funding for the relocation of technology-based companies to South Carolina; and coaching and funding for startups that may also receive investments from its affiliate, SC Launch Inc.
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