FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 12, 2011
For more information please contact: SCRA Micki Howard 843.760.3329 office 843.697.9226 mobile micki.howard@scra.org
SC Launch Present's "Big Check" Investment to Pandoodle
Columbia, SC - October 12, 2011 - SC Launch, an SCRA affiliate focused on high technology economic development, presented a "big check" investment to newest Portfolio Company Pandoodle during a networking event yesterday evening. The evening's events also featured a discussion on Intellectual Property at the offices of Nelson Mullins in Columbia.
This investment also signifies a relocation for Pandoodle. Moving offices to Columbia, SC, Pandoodle is a personalized, interactive media company. The company's patented technologies and production systems provide turn-key setup and delivery of animation-based products that allow users to include their own personal information, such as an avatar, into a client's custom online and mobile platforms.
Leading Pandoodle as CEO is Dirk Brown, who is also a professor at the University of South Carolina and Director of the Faber Entrepreneurial Center at USC's Moore School of Business.
"Pandoodle would like to offer a sincere thank you to SC Launch for their support," said Brown. "We are excited to come to South Carolina. This investment will allow us to move faster and enable further growth for our company."
"We are pleased to announce the addition of Pandoodle to our portfolio," said SCRA Executive Vice President and SC Launch Executive Director Dave McNamara. "Pandoodle and its leadership offer great expertise and strengthen the development of the Knowledge Economy of South Carolina."
"The SC Launch program continues to identify and support emerging companies with impressive technology," said SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. "It is through the growth of companies like Pandoodle that South Carolina is recognizing great economic returns. We are delighted to be a part of the success that SC Launch companies are bringing to our state."
Since its inception by SCRA in 2006, and with initial funding of $12 million in SCRA earnings, SC Launch has supported and funded 188 companies in SC, helped draw 11 relocation "landing parties" to the state, provided business services to 230 early stage companies in SC through a powerful Resource Network and helped position emerging South Carolina companies to secure more than $130 million in follow-on funding from angel, venture and other private capital sources. As a program that focuses on the development of emerging technology-based businesses in South Carolina, SC Launch has been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for leadership in entrepreneurial support and technology-based economic development.
About SCRA http://www.scra.org
SCRA is an applied research company with over 28 years of experience building multi-organizational teams and delivering innovative technologies. Our economic development affiliate, SC Launch, helps early-stage companies to commercialize innovations and create jobs. Our ATI affiliate manages over 100 national and international applied R&D programs worth over $1.4B in contract value. SCRA-led teams deliver technology solutions with high transition rates and high ROI to Federal and corporate clients.
In support of both our applied R&D and economic development missions, SCRA builds and manages research facilities that include wet labs, secure rooms for sensitive work and advanced high-tech manufacturing shops.