Six Companies Receive A Total Of $250,000 In SCRA Grants

Staff Report From South Carolina CEO

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) announces six SC Launch Client Companies recently have been awarded grants for a combined total of $250,000.

Four companies have received SCRA Acceleration Grants. These grants are competitively awarded to South Carolina-based, for-profit companies to progress the company towards commercialization and better position the company for an investment through SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch, Inc.

Constructis is leading the kinetic energy revolution with a zero carbon emission roadway power system. Their Roadway Energy X (REX) platform is a rumble strip box embedded in the roadway that harvests over 1,100 watts of electricity every time a two-axle car passes over it, enough to power three family homes with four lanes of busy traffic installed where vehicles are slowing down and collecting, capturing energy that otherwise would have been wasted in braking. The Greenville-based company received a $50,000 grant.

Quitchet is a real estate platform that unites buyers and sellers, agents, team leaders, brokers, realtor associations and multiple listing services with a seamless system that simplifies the entire home buying and selling process. The app allows buyers, sellers and realtors to create a “wish list” for their ideal home, then it searches for homes which match those criteria, schedules showings at times that are convenient for the buyer, seller and realtor, maps and plans the realtors’ showings, provides feedback to all parties, allows easy comparison of homes, aid and improves safety for both the buyer, seller and realtor. The Greenville-based company received a $50,000 grant.

Cycle Clarity is team of physicians, computer engineers and biostaticians dedicated to improving the world of fertility treatment through the application of cognitive computing in healthcare. Through the use of the latest generation of machine learning, Cycle Clarity has developed a better understanding of the multi factorial causes of infertility allowing for a more individualized approach to infertility testing and treatment. The Awendaw-based company received a $50,000 grant.

A Priori (dba Railmo) is innovating mobility equipment management. The company has developed a platform that will allow healthcare and airport transportation staff to locate, store, check-out and clean mobile equipment such as wheelchairs. The inventory management system is expected to reduce costs associated with lost wheelchairs and time spent searching for items. The Columbia-based company received a $50,000 grant.

Two other companies have received SCRA Academic Startup Assistance Program (ASAP) grants. These grants are available to for-profit companies sponsored by an academic institution to assist an early-stage company in achieving one or more critical milestones toward commercialization that will serve as the foundation for pursuing follow-on funding. The company must be an SC Launch Client Company to be eligible.

Aconabolics specializes in the synthesis of organic acids, ketoacids, and amino acids which have the potential to provide cancer detection in the body, as well as be critical components in pharmaceutical/materials research and metabolic analysis. Their proprietary chemical reaction pathway is considered a breakthrough because their “chemical trackers” which are produced in an inorganic process are significantly less expensive than the organically-derived products currently in the market. . The Greenville-based company received a $25,000 grant.

Pensievision has developed a 3D medical imaging technology for early-stage detection and analysis of cancers, initially focusing on cervical cancer. The company’s imaging platform provides instant diagnostics, on location, avoiding the need for lab infrastructure, reducing waiting times and reducing additional visits to the clinic. Pensievision aims to provide more favorable cancer screening methods that are easier to use, more accessible and lower cost. The Charleston-based company received a $25,000 grant.