Columbia software company receives statewide award from SCRA

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A Columbia-based company was one of two honored with statewide awards at the South Carolina Research Authority’s annual summit held April 18 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Lanford Holloway, CEO of Columbia’s TerraStride, was named Founder of the Year. TerraStride offers two products, TerraStride PRO, which allows users to tour a piece of land virtually, and HuntStand, a hunting app that has gained wide appeal nationwide.

Charleston-based GoodUnited was named Company of the Year. GoodUnited developed an application that helps nonprofits raise money with an innovative two-way messaging platform that integrates with social media.

The criteria for being named the SCRA Company of the Year include having an exceptional job and revenue growth, a unique product or service, being a recognized technology leader with protected intellectual property, and having proven scale-up abilities. The criteria for being named SCRA Founder of the Year include being a visionary leader, being a creative, technological disruptive game-changer, having relentless passion, and having a compelling and inspiring story, according to a news release.

Themed “Founders First,” the summit offered a chance for SCRA-sponsored and funded entrepreneurs, startups, and project leaders, as well as members of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, to come together, network, and learn more about how to grow their businesses successfully.

The keynote speaker was Joe Hanna, chief product officer at Magnit Global, which acquired ENGAGE Talent, a startup he founded. SCRA supported and funded ENGAGE Talent, which helped revolutionize talent acquisition and management.