SCRA’s SC Launch® Invests $150,000 in Bridge to Life Ltd.

April 16, 2009

COLUMBIA, SC – April 15, 2009 – To celebrate its investment in Bridge to Life, Ltd., SCRA affiliate SC Launch is holding a “big check” ceremony today at the USC Columbia Technology Incubator. Bridge to Life is a development-stage biotechnology company that has relocated to South Carolina from Wisconsin in order to be closer to relevant basic research and commercialization partners. Bridge to Life is pioneering new products and services which dramatically advance the science of organ preservation, on behalf of the organ transplant community, as well as hospitals, physicians and their patients.

 “We are pleased to locate our global headquarters office in Richland County.  South Carolina offers our company an attractive business environment and a skilled workforce necessary to meet our customer demand and future product development. Additionally, the organ transplant expertise at MUSC will play a critical role in Bridge to Life’s new product development. We appreciate the support we have received from state and local officials and look forward to expanding our company in South Carolina,” said John Bruens, chief commercial and business development officer for Bridge to Life.

“We are very pleased that Bridge to Life is operating in our incubator,” said Joel Stevenson, Executive Director, USC Columbia Technology Incubator. “Working with Bridge to Life is definitely a collaborative effort among the SC Department of Commerce, SC Launch and the University of South Carolina. We look forward to the company’s continued success.”

“Bridge to Life represents not only the growing biomedical cluster in South Carolina, but also our state’s growing ability to attract knowledge economy landing parties through collaboration. We are delighted to partner with SC Commerce, Central SC Alliance and Richland County to support and invest in Bridge to Life through our SC Launch program,” said SCRA Chief Executive Officer Bill Mahoney.

Throughout the past 12-18 months, SC Launch has provided counsel and support to more than 125
start-ups. The average salary of jobs created to date by these start-ups is $77,000. Additionally, SC Launch-supported companies have to date secured more than $60 million in follow-on venture capital and private equity financing.

About SCRA 

SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in South Carolina, Ohio and in the Washington, D.C. area. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing technology-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry, government, and research universities in SC, the US and globally.

About SC Launch

SC Launch, an SCRA collaboration, assists entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerful resource network. The SC Launch mission is to help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state’s quality of life and provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy.