Upstate Carolina Angel Network

The Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) is a consortium of accredited investors based in Greenville, South Carolina, dedicated to investing in and supporting start-up and early-stage high-growth businesses in the Southeastern United States. Established in 2008, UCAN aims to foster entrepreneurship and innovation by providing financial resources and mentorship to emerging companies. The network focuses on identifying promising ventures and facilitating their growth, contributing to the economic development of the region.

J.B. Holeman

Co-Founder

Past deals in South Carolina

Proterra

Series F in 2017
Proterra Inc. is a manufacturer of zero-emission electric buses, primarily focused on providing sustainable transportation solutions for public and commercial transit. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, with additional offices in Greenville, South Carolina, and City of Industry, California, Proterra designs its products, including 35-foot and 40-foot electric buses, to meet the diverse needs of urban and regional transit routes. The company's Catalyst platform is noted for its modularity, allowing it to adapt to various operational demands while delivering high energy efficiency. Proterra also offers a broad range of services, including vehicle electrification solutions, fleet planning, charging infrastructure, and comprehensive vehicle maintenance programs. By facilitating the transition away from fossil fuels, Proterra aims to enhance environmental quality and reduce operational costs for fleet operators, contributing to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Proterra

Series E in 2017
Proterra Inc. is a manufacturer of zero-emission electric buses, primarily focused on providing sustainable transportation solutions for public and commercial transit. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, with additional offices in Greenville, South Carolina, and City of Industry, California, Proterra designs its products, including 35-foot and 40-foot electric buses, to meet the diverse needs of urban and regional transit routes. The company's Catalyst platform is noted for its modularity, allowing it to adapt to various operational demands while delivering high energy efficiency. Proterra also offers a broad range of services, including vehicle electrification solutions, fleet planning, charging infrastructure, and comprehensive vehicle maintenance programs. By facilitating the transition away from fossil fuels, Proterra aims to enhance environmental quality and reduce operational costs for fleet operators, contributing to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Atlas Organics

Seed Round in 2015
Atlas Organics Inc. is a company that specializes in organics recycling services, focusing on the collection and recycling of food and yard waste. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company operates in various regions, including San Antonio, Texas, and has established partnerships with municipalities to promote sustainability. Atlas Organics serves a diverse clientele, including businesses, schools, hospitals, and restaurants, by converting collected organic waste into high-quality compost products for agricultural, landscaping, and home gardening applications. The company aims to advance the "table to farm" movement, helping its customers achieve their sustainability goals while diverting compostable waste from landfills. Through its composting facilities, Atlas Organics contributes essential nutrients to soil health and supports the growth of beneficial microorganisms.

ActivEd

Seed Round in 2015
ActivEd, Inc. is an educational technology company based in Greenville, South Carolina, that specializes in interactive online lessons known as Walkabouts. Founded in 2011, ActivEd focuses on transforming fundamental concepts in math and literacy into engaging, movement-rich activities tailored for Pre-K through Second Grade students. These online adventures are designed to support teachers, schools, and parents by aligning with existing educational standards, making lesson planning more accessible and effective. Walkabouts provide a dynamic approach to learning, integrating physical activity into educational experiences, and are suitable for use in various settings, including before and after school programs, as well as elementary classrooms.

The Iron Yard

Series A in 2014
The Iron Yard LLC is an accelerator based in Greenville, South Carolina, with an additional office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Founded in 2011, the company specializes in seed and startup investments in technology sectors, focusing on software and software/hardware combinations. Its investment areas include healthcare, medical devices, biotech, energy, environment, wellness apps, mobile technology, and enterprise software. The Iron Yard operates three distinct programs: edu tech, open tech, and green tech. Each program lasts three months and accommodates up to ten companies. The firm provides an initial investment of $20,000 during the program and typically selects at least two companies for further funding up to $1 million, taking a six percent equity stake. While the firm prefers teams of two or more founders, it may occasionally consider solo founders. The Iron Yard is dedicated to nurturing talented developers and startups, equipping them with essential skills for long-term success in the technology industry.

Iron Yard Ventures

Series A in 2014
Iron Yard Ventures was a mentorship-driven startup accelerator focused on providing education and early-stage funding for Digital Health and EdTech startups. Founded in 2011 and based in Greenville, South Carolina, the organization aimed to create exceptional value for entrepreneurs by offering mentorship and capital through its accelerator programs. It also operated The Iron Yard Academy, which provided full-time coding education. Iron Yard Ventures cultivated a vibrant community of instructors, mentors, programmers, designers, and entrepreneurs, fostering an environment where collaboration and innovation thrived. The organization recognized the pressing need for skilled developers in a rapidly evolving digital landscape and committed itself to training high-quality professionals and nurturing startups. Its mission centered on supporting the success of its students, teams, and investors, while addressing the challenges posed by a broken education system and the growing demand for talent in the technology sector.

Proterra

Series C in 2014
Proterra Inc. is a manufacturer of zero-emission electric buses, primarily focused on providing sustainable transportation solutions for public and commercial transit. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, with additional offices in Greenville, South Carolina, and City of Industry, California, Proterra designs its products, including 35-foot and 40-foot electric buses, to meet the diverse needs of urban and regional transit routes. The company's Catalyst platform is noted for its modularity, allowing it to adapt to various operational demands while delivering high energy efficiency. Proterra also offers a broad range of services, including vehicle electrification solutions, fleet planning, charging infrastructure, and comprehensive vehicle maintenance programs. By facilitating the transition away from fossil fuels, Proterra aims to enhance environmental quality and reduce operational costs for fleet operators, contributing to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Selah Genomics

Seed Round in 2013
Selah Genomics Inc. is a clinical diagnostic specialist based in Greenville, South Carolina, that delivers advanced molecular and genomic diagnostic services to healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. Established in 2006 and formerly known as Lab21 Inc., the company focuses on enhancing diagnostic testing services, particularly in women's health and the management of chronic conditions. Selah Genomics specializes in personalized treatment plans for various cancer types, utilizing detailed genomic profiling derived from patient tumors. Its comprehensive service offerings include next-generation sequencing, companion diagnostics, RNA sequencing, targeted sequencing, biorepository services, quantitative PCR, bioinformatics, and nucleic acid extraction. By supporting early-stage drug development, clinical trials, and regulatory processes, Selah Genomics aims to improve patient outcomes through more personalized treatment and effective patient monitoring.

CharlestonPharma

Seed Round in 2013
CharlestonPharma, LLC, established in 2010 and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, specializes in developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting nucleolin, a protein overexpressed on cancer cells. The company holds worldwide licenses for producing these antibodies and using them to treat cancer patients, as well as for diagnostic applications involving nucleolin detection. Its focus is on demonstrating preclinical proof of concept for its anti-nucleolin antibodies, aiming to selectively kill cancer cells while minimizing toxicity to normal cells.

Kiyatec

Series A in 2012
Kiyatec, LLC is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of advanced 3D cell-based assays aimed at enhancing preclinical drug discovery and clinical therapy applications. Founded in 2005 and based in Greenville, South Carolina, Kiyatec employs its proprietary 3DKUBE technology platform to create functional 3D models using patients' own living tumor cells. This innovative approach allows for the evaluation of various cancer therapies, providing insights into drug toxicity and efficacy before clinical trials. The company offers a range of services, including drug response profiling, predictions of patient responses to therapies, and cell-based assays for oncologists. Additionally, Kiyatec collaborates with biopharma clients on standard and custom assays and conducts research funded by the National Cancer Institute to develop 3D cell culture models for several types of cancer, such as breast cancer, glioblastoma, and lung cancer. By modeling complex human biology and simulating in vivo conditions, Kiyatec aims to improve treatment selection for cancer patients and support the development of medical devices and therapeutic drugs.

Zipit Wireless

Convertible Note in 2012
Zipit Wireless, Inc. is a technology company based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in critical messaging and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Founded in 2007, the company provides instant communication systems designed for critical situations, catering to various sectors, including healthcare, education, government, and hospitality. Its Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution enables two-way communication for organizations such as hospitals and emergency services. In addition to messaging services, Zipit Wireless offers cloud-based software and cellular services that support IoT products, including a subscription billing and activations platform for managing cellular activations and subscriptions. The company also develops network-connected devices, such as wireless trail cameras and medication adherence devices, which can be managed remotely through web portals or mobile applications. With a focus on enabling businesses to optimize their mobile operations, Zipit Wireless markets its technology solutions globally.

Proterra

Series A in 2011
Proterra Inc. is a manufacturer of zero-emission electric buses, primarily focused on providing sustainable transportation solutions for public and commercial transit. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, with additional offices in Greenville, South Carolina, and City of Industry, California, Proterra designs its products, including 35-foot and 40-foot electric buses, to meet the diverse needs of urban and regional transit routes. The company's Catalyst platform is noted for its modularity, allowing it to adapt to various operational demands while delivering high energy efficiency. Proterra also offers a broad range of services, including vehicle electrification solutions, fleet planning, charging infrastructure, and comprehensive vehicle maintenance programs. By facilitating the transition away from fossil fuels, Proterra aims to enhance environmental quality and reduce operational costs for fleet operators, contributing to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Zipit Wireless

Series C in 2010
Zipit Wireless, Inc. is a technology company based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in critical messaging and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Founded in 2007, the company provides instant communication systems designed for critical situations, catering to various sectors, including healthcare, education, government, and hospitality. Its Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution enables two-way communication for organizations such as hospitals and emergency services. In addition to messaging services, Zipit Wireless offers cloud-based software and cellular services that support IoT products, including a subscription billing and activations platform for managing cellular activations and subscriptions. The company also develops network-connected devices, such as wireless trail cameras and medication adherence devices, which can be managed remotely through web portals or mobile applications. With a focus on enabling businesses to optimize their mobile operations, Zipit Wireless markets its technology solutions globally.

Zipit Wireless

Series C in 2010
Zipit Wireless, Inc. is a technology company based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in critical messaging and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Founded in 2007, the company provides instant communication systems designed for critical situations, catering to various sectors, including healthcare, education, government, and hospitality. Its Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution enables two-way communication for organizations such as hospitals and emergency services. In addition to messaging services, Zipit Wireless offers cloud-based software and cellular services that support IoT products, including a subscription billing and activations platform for managing cellular activations and subscriptions. The company also develops network-connected devices, such as wireless trail cameras and medication adherence devices, which can be managed remotely through web portals or mobile applications. With a focus on enabling businesses to optimize their mobile operations, Zipit Wireless markets its technology solutions globally.
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