Software company founded at Clemson receives funding from SC Launch

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A software startup founded at Clemson University has received funding from SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority. 

CarbonCents Inc., based in Walhalla, collects data to measure and reduce energy costs as well as reduce carbon footprints, according to a news release. The startup received a $250,000 investment from SC Launch.

CarbonCents became an SCRA member company in 2022 and received a $25,000 academic startup grant. With this most recent investment, they have become an SC Launch Inc. portfolio company.

The company’s goal is to revolutionize the energy market with software platform solutions developed in three modules that collect, measure and supply data to enable organizations to make better decisions about their emissions and energy costs, according to the release.

“This tea at CarbonCents has already proven the benefits of using their software,” said Steve Johnson, investment manager for SC Launch Inc. “Their system works in over 32 buildings at Clemson, yielding over 190,000 daily observations. IN addition, under an initial beta project with major industry partners, their mitigation measures achieved an estimated energy savings of 17 percent.”

Johnson noted that a 17 percent savings rate can have a significant impact on any university or institution concerned with energy costs.

“What we had in mind when starting CarbonCents was to help entities reduce their carbon footprint and in turn reduce their costs,” said the company’s CEO and co-founder Tim Howard. “Our state-of-the-art innovation provides those insights that organizations need while helping them create healthier working environments. We thank the SCRA and SC Launch Inc. for supporting our mission.”