“e-Merge @ the Garage” to grow businesses through entrepreneurship, incubation/accelerator and industry partnerships
July 16, 2014
ANDERSON, SC – Innovate Anderson and the City of Anderson are creating an entrepreneurial space and program(s) that will focus on a public/private collaborative with local industry partners. The space will be located at 130 W. Whiter St within the existing parking garage facility the City of Anderson owns. e-Merge @ the Garage will consist of entrepreneurial flexible work space for start ups in Health Care, IT Intelligence, Culinary Arts and Education opportunities.
The incubator/accelerator program is being created to engage local industry partners to vet through new start up concepts in their respective areas. The chosen companies will go through a 12 week start up “boot camp” that will guide them in areas such as Idea creation, Business canvassing, Funding and Storytelling. During the program the startup companies will be offered work space, mentors and funding opportunities as they graduate through the next stages of product/service and company creation.
Innovate Anderson was fortunate enough to be engaged in a South Carolina Department of Commerce Innovation grant program. Organizations throughout the state submitted more than $6.8 million in request for $2.5 million grant funds, for up to $250,000 in possible grant awards to each organization.
“Innovate Anderson was very pleased to hear the “e-Merge @ the Garage” proposal was selected as one of only seven awardees recognized by the Office of Innovation to receive the maximum grant award amount of $250,000. This grant, along with support from firms like AT&T and the City of Anderson continue to demonstrate the commitment of the community to expand business and entrepreneurial resources through innovative partnerships and unique ventures”, Mike Panasko, President, Innovate Anderson.
The e-Merge @ the Garage initiative of a public/private partnership and collaboration with the industry partnerships builds economic development, communities and the future prosperity in Anderson, SC. We are excited to begin this venture and new chapter of creation in our downtown community, county and throughout the State of South Carolina. We will embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and partnerships to engage technology, communities and businesses for the generations that follow.
ABOUT e-Merge @ the Garage
The e-Merge @ the Garage program will be a hybrid Incubator/Accelerator/Work Force Development model. This hybrid model will allow the business community and partners to work with startups companies at various levels needed to compliment the current and future business community. For companies that are at the early stage in the process of idea creation, business canvas mapping, funding, marketing and pitching their company, e-Merge @ the Garage will have access to various entrepreneurial resources with our industry partnership arrangements as well as an e-Merge @ the Garage entrepreneur web portal/application with an assigned mentor structure.
Once a year e-Merge @ the Garage will take the top potential start-up companies in the incubator based on our defined “successful business creation” process and put them through our accelerator program to advance them into a local business. Creating these businesses will in turn refresh and re-energize our downtown community and provide economic growth in Anderson County and the Upstate of South Carolina. Our work force development partnerships with various local institutions will compliment these start ups companies as well add value to our maturing and existing businesses in our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
