UofSC secures funds to establish new investment in SC tech startups

October 1, 2021

source: University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina’s Office of Innovation, Partnerships and Economic Engagement will create South Carolina Rising, a new state-wide investment program to identify, qualify and provide equity investments to promising early-stage technology companies based in South Carolina. The fund will be established in partnership with the South Carolina Research Foundation using a newly awarded $400,000 grant from the US Economic Development Administration Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

As a part of the EDA’s "Build to Scale Capital Challenge Program," the new grant will help the university continue to drive innovation and economic development in South Carolina. With a commitment to equitable inclusion across age, gender, race, and religious beliefs, South Carolina Rising will seek to support a variety of perspectives to help generate better ideas to solve complex problems of a changing world.

“We would like to thank the EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for choosing our proposal to be part of this program,” said Bill Kirkland, Executive Director of OIPEE. “The creation of South Carolina Rising is all about making sure that entrepreneurs have all the tools they need to start and build a successful company right here. This investment in our startup community demonstrates UofSC’s commitment to continuing to build a thriving innovation ecosystem across the state.”

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