Left to right: Jeannine Briggman Rogers, SCRA Program Manager, Snowil Lopes, Co-Founder of CarbonCents, Tim Howard, Co-Founder and CEO of CarbonCents, Steve Johnson, SCRA Investment Manager
Clemson University and the Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) are proud to announce that CarbonCents Inc. has received approval from the SC Launch Inc. board for a $250,000 convertible note.
CarbonCents is a technology-driven company that offers predictive energy management platforms for carbon reduction data. The company's system enables the measurement and analysis of a building's power, temperature, water usage, indoor air quality, and occupancy in a utility data system. This data is then used to create an energy usage index that helps organizations plan and achieve their sustainability goals. CarbonCents was founded by Tim Howard, Facility Solutions Manager at the Clemson University Watt Family Innovation Center, and Snowil Lopes, Director for Technology and Research at the Clemson University Energy Visualization and Analytics Center (CEVAC), to commercialize the CEVAC platform they developed in collaboration with Drs. David White, Research Associate for Analytics and GIS at the Clemson University Watt Family Innovation Center, and Carl Ehrett, Research Data Scientist at the Clemson University Watt Family Innovation Center.
" A deep understanding of the contributors to an organization’s carbon footprint is needed to make cost effective improvements. I am excited that the efforts we started in this area in 2016 at the Watt Family Innovation Center have led to this investment in CarbonCents by SC Launch. The collaboration between the Watt Center and Clemson University Facilities and the energy of our student interns from a broad range of majors serves as a model for other multidisciplinary efforts. I look forward to following the impact that this investment will have on CarbonCents, and the resulting impact that CarbonCents will have on improving the carbon footprint of their customers,” said Dr. Todd Marek, Executive Director of the Watt Family Innovation Center.
As an SCRA Member Company, a status they gained last year, CarbonCents was awarded a $25,000 Academic Startup Grant and a $50,000 Acceleration Grant that has helped them continue to transform the energy market with the use of the CEVAC software platform consisting of three modules. These modules give organizations the visualization and analytics tools needed to make better decisions about their emissions and energy costs by collecting, measuring, and supplying carbon reduction data. CarbonCents also became a SC Launch Portfolio Company with the $250,000 convertible note investment.
SC Launch Inc. is the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA). As an affiliate of SCRA, SC Launch Inc. supports innovative technology and technology-based businesses with seed and follow-on capital to supplement funding. The SC Launch Inc. board's decision to approve the $250,000 convertible note is a significant milestone for CarbonCents, providing the startup with the funding necessary to accelerate its growth and bring its innovative solution to market.
“CURF is excited about the potential impact of CarbonCents and what the funding from SC Launch Inc. can do to help advance market entry and scaled customer acquisition activities to generate near-term revenues. CarbonCents is a prime example of the later stage innovative research coming out of Clemson University. I am excited to see this company continue to grow and thrive," said Chris Gesswein, CURF's Executive Director.
"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.”
With the support of SC Launch Inc., CarbonCents is well-positioned to make a significant impact on the environment and create a more sustainable future for all.
About Clemson University
One of the most productive public research universities in the nation, Clemson University attracts and powerfully unites students and faculty whose greatest desire is to make a difference in the lives of others. A Carnegie R1 research institution ranked among the best national public universities by U.S. News & World Report, Clemson is dedicated to teaching, research, and service. Our main campus, located in Upstate South Carolina, sits on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the shores of Lake Hartwell. We have a presence in every South Carolina County through research facilities, economic development hubs and innovation campuses. Through the research, outreach and entrepreneurial projects led by our faculty and students, Clemson University is driving economic development and improving quality of life in South Carolina and beyond. For more information, go to clemson.edu or visit us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
About the Clemson University Research Foundation
The Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) manages the process of moving Clemson’s innovative technologies from the laboratory into commercial markets—otherwise known as technology transfer. Established in 1981, CURF is a 501(c)(3) corporation founded exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. Governed by a Board of Directors drawn from leaders in the public and private sectors, CURF acts as the legal recipient of certain gifts, contracts, and grants from public and private industry, non-profits, and government agencies for the performance of research and educational activities associated with Clemson University.
CURF works to build meaningful, ongoing relationships with Clemson University faculty, students, and administrative leadership involved in the university research enterprise, to create and maintain a scalable and sustainable model for research collaboration, technology maturation, and technology commercialization opportunities to feed back into the broader university research enterprise. For more about CURF, visit curf.clemson.edu or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
