Vigilix Receives Investment from SCRA's SC LAUNCH
May 15, 2008
GREENVILLE, SC – May 14, 2008 – Greenville-based Vigilix, a company that enables clients to increase revenues and operate more efficiently by providing point-of-sale (POS) remote monitoring and management tools, will receive an investment from SCRA affiliate SC Launch today at Latitudes Restaurant, 631 S. Main, Greenville.
Vigilix develops technologies that allow companies to monitor, support and manage mission critical remote systems. Vigilix is currently focused on delivering tools that enable the delivery of remote, proactive support for POS systems.
Andrew Kurtz, Vigilix founder and CEO, initially approached SC Launch in 2005 to learn more about the program. At the outset, Vigilix had a strategic agreement in place with ScanSource, a Greenville-based international distributor of specialty technologies. SC Launch and The Clemson University Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, as well as SC Launch Resource Partner Elliott Davis, then collaborated to further assist Vigilix with positioning and development of go-to-market capabilities through market research and strategic planning. Currently, the SC Launch Board of Directors has approved a $115,000 investment in Vigilix for product expansion, infrastructure and marketing strategy. An additional $85,000 in potential funding to Vigilix is available based upon achieving planned milestones.
“I approached SC Launch to gauge what services they may be able to provide us during our POS go-to-market activities,” said Andrew Kurtz, Vigilix founder and CEO. “In addition to the financial investment, they’ve been an invaluable resource in helping us define and implement initiatives that will ensure our success in our market space,” he said. “Through our Spiro Institute graduate student teams, we were able to assist Vigilix in exploring current and future market opportunities,” said Caron St. John, Associate Dean in Clemson’s College of Business and Behavioral Science.
“We are proud to be a part of Vigilix’ success as they grow in South Carolina,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO. “Their partnership with the Clemson’s Spiro Institute as well as their relationships with established SC companies provides a strong example of how collaboration strengthens the Knowledge Economy of South Carolina,” he said. “SC Launch’s work with Vigilix fulfills the SCRA and the SC Launch mission to generate Knowledge Economy companies and jobs in South Carolina by promoting applied research, product development and commercialization programs, which complement intellectual property developed commercially and by our in-state universities,” Mahoney said.
With the need to protect mission-critical POS resources from costly interruptions, Vigilix decreases lost productivity, decreases costly downtime and increases operational efficiency. Vigilix detects critical system or process issues and can initiate corrective action or alert support personnel to important changes or situations. Vigilix is currently being delivered to the POS market as ScanSource Virtual Technician™, a software-as-a-service solution targeted at POS solution providers.
The Vigilix announcement follows a series of others by SC Launch. In recent months, more than 41 start-up initiatives across the state have received financial support from SC Launch. Other SC Launch portfolio companies include Zipit Wireless, Sabal Medical and DigitalDerm.
About Vigilix ( www.vigilix.com )
Headquartered in Greenville, Vigilix LLC develops technologies that enable companies to successfully manage critical business resources and information at the point-of-sale level. Guided by the overriding principle to equip companies with purposeful technology, Vigilix develops and deploys its cutting edge
detection and notification platform to business and industry.
About SC Launch ( www.sclaunch.org )
SC Launch, an SCRA affiliate, 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.
About SCRA ( www.scra.org )
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in Anderson, Charleston, and Columbia. SCRA collaborates to advance technology with industry, government, and research universities like Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina.
