SC Launch 2014 Annual Report

SC Launch

SC Launch advances South Carolina’s Knowledge Economy - an economy based on technology and typified by high wage-earning jobs.

SC Launch is SCRA Technology Ventures’ flagship economic development program.

SCRA is a not-for-profit applied research corporation with a key mission to grow South Carolina’s technology-based economy. This is primarily done through the SC Launch program, which was formed

by SCRA in 2006 in response to a legislative mandate. Originally funded by SCRA’s retained earnings, the program is now supported by contributions to the annual $6 million Industry Partnership Fund.

Bill Mahoney Chief Executive Officer, SCRA

Commercializing Technologies Moving technologies from the benches of South Carolina’s research universities into the commercial market

Creating Companies and Jobs Supporting the formation and growth of tech-based companies in South Carolina through mentoring and funding

Supporting Landing Parties Helping established technology companies from other states and countries relocate to South Carolina

SC Launch Sources and Uses of Funds

Program Operations

Judicious Investments

5%

Program operations are efficient and lean so that the majority of the Industry Partnership Fund is invested in entrepreneurial companies.

Mandated Services

Focused Investments

Investments are aligned with the focus areas of South Carolina’s research universities and emerging technology clusters in the state.

77

%

Direct to Entrepreneurs

5

Transportation

Chemical & Engineering

Advanced Materials Energy

Life Sciences

Defense ss ls ce ria Pro ate y g g M r n d e ri En ance ation inee gy t g v Ad spor & En hnolo n % l c a 5 a r e . c i T T 6 % em ion Ch rmat ces 9.5 % n o Inf Scie 5.5 % .0 e se Lif 12 % fen .0 De 30 % 5 .

32 % 4.0

Information Technology

y ls Energ ateria ced M 6.5% ss Advan tion Proce a rt o p ering 9.5% Trans ngine E & l y ica olog 5.5% Chem Techn ation 12.0% Inform s e cienc 30.0% Life S se 32.5% Defen 4.0%

77 18

18%

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Grants

Investments

SC Launch provides a comprehensive suite of resources to support entrepreneurs.

When a company is accepted into the program they become a Client Company and receive mentoring and access to a robust network of business service resources such as legal, marketing, banking, prototyping and manufacturing. Eligible Client Companies may receive matches to federal Phase I SBIR/STTR grants or University Start-up Assistance Program grants.

Client Companies that are approved by the SC Launch Board for early-stage investment funding become Portfolio Companies. Established technology companies from other states and countries may receive assistance relocating to South Carolina.

SC LAUNCH TOOLBOX

SC Launch Board

Judith Davis

Peter Dunphy

SC Launch Team

Tiffany DuPree

The SC Launch Board is a seasoned forum of commercialization experts. The Board reviews candidate companies and approves all Portfolio Investments.

Greg Hillman

Deepal Eliatamby

Andrea Marshall

Tim Reed

John Warner

Joe Wischerath

The SC Launch Team mentors client companies, guiding them through the SC Launch due diligence process.

Ambrose Schwallie

SC LAUNCH LEADERSHIP

Derek Willis

Martin Ettlemyer

Greg Clark

Lindsay Kuhnhein

Resource Partners SC Launch Resource Partners provide essential business support services to SC Launch Client Companies. These include accounting, banking, engineering, human resources, information technology, insurance/risk management, legal, sales & marketing and assistance in obtaining Federal SBIR/STTR grants.

Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. Elliott Davis BB&T Square 1 Bank Wells Fargo Bank, NA Cedar Ventures, LLC Ceterus Inc. HS Diversified Solutions, LLC Integrity Professionals, LLC Knowledge Capital Group (KCG) Newport Board Group Supporting Strategies The Baciocco Group, Inc. (TBG) Flextronics UEC Electronics, LLC (UEC) Vetronix Clarke & Company Benefits, LLC Green Door Company Corporate Benefits, Inc. KeenanSuggs The Kidder Group, Inc.

McPherson, Berry & Associates, Inc. (MB&A)

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Smart Work | Network, Inc.

Nexsen Pruet

Southeast, Strategic Marketing International (SMI)

Snelling

Ogletree Deakins

StrategicPartner

CSASS

Rogers Townsend & Thomas, PC

Cyberwoven

Stipkala, LLC

Trevelino/Keller Communications (TKCG)

Immedion

Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A.

ProActive Technology

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice

PST

Wyche

VC3

Byrum Innovation Group, Inc. (BIG)

Clarke & Company Benefits, LLC Corporate Benefits, Inc. KeenanSuggs Neace Lukens Counts & Huger Dority & Manning entrepreneurs law group Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. McNair Law Firm Michael D. Layman Monahan & Moses, LLC

CarterTodd & Associates Chernoff Newman Dynamic Exhibits

Smoak Public Relations

VantagePoint Nimbus Technologies Dilks-Simone Enterprises, Inc. SCBIO South Carolina Chamber of Commerce South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP)

ECI Gil Shuler Graphic Design, Inc. GrowthSpring Group JC Rose & Associates Maga Design Post No Bills, Inc. Silicon Harbor Communications, LLC

RESOURCE NETWORK

Company: Voterheads Region: Midlands Industry: IT What they do: Voterheads is a Columbia-based SC Launch Client Company. The

company aims to provide one simple web platform for citizens to keep up with local government and school board issues that interest them and to communicate easily with their elected officials.

Interesting fact: Voterheads is actively monitoring over 800 organizations up and down the East Coast from Florida to Maryland.

CLIENT COMPANY

Company: Recovr Region: Upstate Industry: IT What they do: SC Launch Client Company Recovr researches, develops and distributes virtual

therapy tools to improve the daily lives of people with disabilities. Recovr’s first product, “Duck Duck Punch,” is an award-winning, physical rehabilitation game system for post-stroke, arm movement rehabilitation. The company, based in Clemson and a graduate of the Iron Yard’s Digital Health Accelerator, is working to launch new rehabilitation systems to improve recovery for other physical disabilities. Recovr was recently recognized as the 2014 InnoVision Small Enterprise awardwinner for their technology and innovation.

Interesting fact: Recovr’s technology is the result of a collaborative project between Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina.

UNIVERSITY START-UP ASSISTANCE

Company: PPI Pharmaceuticals

PPI

Pharmaceuticals

Region: Midlands Industry: Life Sciences What they do: The company was formed by Dr. Campbell McInnes of the University of South

Carolina, based on discoveries from his laboratory. PPI’s technology allows for more efficient pharmaceutical development against targets previously inaccessible to conventional methods.

This will enable generation of compounds that are specific for molecular targets in tumors thereby decreasing the effects on normal cells. A more selective therapeutic thus allows improved efficacy against cancers while also decreasing the negative side effects and toxicities associated with traditional chemotherapy drugs.

Interesting fact: The STTR will fund the development of targeted compounds that, due to their more selective properties, allow for a decrease in the side effects and toxicities associated with conventional cancer drugs.

STTR MATCH

Company: Recleim Region: Midlands Industry: Energy What they do: Founded in 2012, Recleim became an SC Launch Portfolio Company in 2014.

Recleim brings next-generation appliance and electronic recycling to North America. Their flagship 110,000 square foot facility, a renovation of a mill in Graniteville, features state-of-theart, completely closed-loop resource recovery technology to cleanly and safely de-manufacture and recycle refrigerators, other household appliances, computers and small electronics, while exceeding all existing Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Interesting fact: At full capacity, the Graniteville plant is expected to employ about 200 people.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY

INTERNATIONAL BIOMEDICAL DEVICES, INC.

Company: International BioMedical Devices (IBMD) Region: Lowcountry Industry: Life Sciences What they do: IBMD is a Charleston-based, medical device company focused in the field of ophthalmic surgery. Based on a technology from Israel, the company’s ApertureRx™ System is a novel precision thermal capsulotomy system for use in cataract surgery. The technology offers improved consistency and performance during the capsulotomy procedures. The company plans to manufacture its patented, single use tip in South Carolina.

Interesting fact: IBMD has an exclusive, world-wide license with Valens Associated, Inc. and inventor, Joshua Ben-Nun, M.D. in Israel.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Company: NeuroQuest Region: Lowcountry Industry: Life Sciences What they do: NeuroQuest has discovered blood-based immune biomarkers for producing early and accurate diagnostics for Alzheimer’s and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). NeuroQuest received strong confirmation of its technology with the results of an independent clinical study performed by the Australian Imaging, Biomarker & Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL). NeuroQuest was formed in Israel and in 2014 it established its US subsidiary and clinical development center at the Roper St. Francis Clinical Biotechnology Research Institute in Charleston, SC. The company’s Charleston, SC development center serves as the base for its clinical and regulatory work. These patented biomarkers may also lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of neurodegenerative disease, leading to improved therapeutics.

Interesting fact: NeuroQuest is the first company to locate in South Carolina as part of the SC-Israel Joint R&D Collaboration signed by South Carolina’s Department of Commerce and managed by SCRA in South Carolina.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY/LANDING PARTY

Company: BarberWind Region: Upstate Industry: Energy What they do: Greenville-based BarberWind Turbines is an SC Launch Portfolio Company

with a groundbreaking wind energy technology. The company designs, manufactures, constructs and maintains wind energy assets. The company’s wind turbine, which will be manufactured in Upstate South Carolina, is highly efficient and among the most cost-effective wind technologies on the market. One 800 kW wind turbine offsets carbon pollution equivalent to taking 700 cars off the road. The entire turbine ships from the manufacturer in five 40 foot containers and does not require a heavy lift crane for assembly or maintenance, allowing the turbine to be used in remote, high-wind locations like the Caribbean and Central America.

Interesting Fact: Jerry Barber, inventor and founder of the company is also the 2010

recipient of the InnoVision Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award, and received more than 50 patents, 22 of those were produced commercially.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Company: ISI Technology Region: Lowcountry Industry: Energy What they do: ISI Technology is a Charleston-based start-up responsible for inventing a disruptive

new product, the world’s first fully digital tankless electric water heater, the Heatworks MODEL 1. The MODEL 1 reduces up to 40% of energy usage and 10% of water usage, saving both time and money.

ISI Technology was accepted into the SC Launch program in 2011 and has received two tranches of investment. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the company has not only met their own expectations, but exceeded them. Out of a pledged goal of $125,000 they raised $436,594.

Interesting Fact: ISI Technology and the Heatworks MODEL 1 were accepted into the Microsoft

Ventures Accelerator program in August 2014. The program, sponsored by American Family Insurance, offers mentorship, tools and connections to support business growth of technology-based businesses focused on home automation. ISI Technology recently graduated from the program in December 2014 and plans to continue working on making the MODEL 1 everyone’s next water heater.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Company: PEC360 Region: Lowcountry Industry: IT What they do: Patient Engagement Centers of America (PEC360) combines people,

processes and technology to create Patient Engagement Centers that assist physicians in the proactive management of their patient population. The combination of trained Patient Engagement Specialists and proprietary Patient Relationship Management (PRM) technology makes PEC360 effective at converting client’s healthcare data into scheduled visits that improve both patient outcomes and financial performance.

Interesting fact: PEC360 was founded in 2008 and is based on a revolutionary business process that evolved out of consumer industries that utilize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology to generate, manage and convert sales opportunities.

PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Company: Bridge to Life Region: Midlands Industry: Life Sciences What they do: Bridge to Life is a recent graduate of the SC Launch program. Based

in Columbia, the company first received SC Launch support in 2008 and was a Portfolio Company in the program. Bridge to Life is a biotechnology company formed to advance the science of organ transplant, and to research, develop and commercialize medical technologies. The company now offers multiple product lines and equipment.

Interesting fact: Bridge to Life is working on a research collaboration with Harvard Medical School and the Medical University of South Carolina.

GRADUATE COMPANY

Funding

Company: Selah Genomics Region: Upstate Industry: Life Sciences What they do: Selah Genomics is a provider of advanced molecular and genomic diagnostic

services. Their services add value to early-stage drug development, clinical trials and regulatory processes in the pharmaceutical industry, help clinicians and healthcare providers treat and monitor patients and improve patient outcomes.

Interesting fact: Selah was recently acquired by EKF Diagnostics for $75 million, making it the

largest of nine exits out of the SC Launch program since 2006. Since 2007, Selah has received four rounds of investment from SC Launch.

GRADUATE COMPANY

Company: CreatiVasc Medical Sector: Life Sciences Where they are: Upstate What they do: CreatiVasc is a medical device company based in Greenville, S.C. The company offers several technologies for dialysis patients, including an innovative device called the Hemoaccess Valve System®, that significantly reduces the complications, costly interventional surgery and suffering associated with End Stage Renal Disease patients on dialysis. Founded in 2004 by Dr. David Cull, a vascular surgeon at Greenville Hospital System, the company began full-time operations in 2007.

CreatiVasc has multiple issued patents on its device both in the US and around the world.

CreatiVasc met several milestones in recent years. The company received multiple investments from the SC Launch program and others, was selected as one of three companies for the FDA’s Innovation Pathway “FastTrack” Program and was most recently acquired by Brookhaven Medical. Brookhaven is an Atlanta-based medical device company with interests in dialysis devices and advanced wound care.

CreatiVasc will continue to operate in Greenville.

Interesting Fact: CreatiVasc was one of the earliest companies in the SC Launch Program.

GRADUATE COMPANY