Welcome to Founderville, where we shine a spotlight on the innovation driving Greenville’s start-up ecosystem. Chances are, our average reader hasn’t heard about many of these young companies. We’re looking to change that.

Do you have a start up you’d like us to feature? Fill out our nomination form.

ProSo

Cheeky Cherry Vanilla is Danielle's favorite flavor. | Photo by GVLtoday

At Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery, Emily's Pantry, and Tropical Grille locations across Greenville, you'll find a new soda in the cooler. What you may not know is the protein-packed pop was created right here in Greenville. We're introducing you to the team behind ProSo.

Founded:
January 2025

Employees:
Four full-time team members + one part-time.

Elevator pitch:
Traditional sodas are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, and most protein products aren't much better — over-engineered for athletes, packed with artificial fillers, and about as enjoyable as eating drywall. ProSo bridges the gap. We're the world's first dietitian-formulated protein soda featuring 10g of clean whey protein isolate, natural ingredients, zero sugar or caffeine, and just 45 calories in a light, crisp, actually-craveable soda. Perfect for the whole family — ProSo makes adding a little extra protein into your day feel less like a health decision and more like a treat.

Why Greenville?
We (Sam and Dalton) met while doing improv at a local comedy theater, which has given us the opportunity to connect with people from all kinds of niche communities here in Greenville. The love and support for local businesses are unmatched, and the city's fun, family-friendly atmosphere is the exact energy we want to keep at the core of our brand as we grow. There is literally nowhere else we’d rather be.

What do you need?
At this stage, the most important thing for us is funding and help spreading the word. If you’ve given ProSo a try, you love the product and believe in our mission to help make healthy choices a convenient treat, we would love your support. Tell your friends about us, buy a 12-pack for the family, send us a photo/video of you or your kids enjoying an ice-cold can (bonus points if you can show us how ProSo fuels your fun), or if you're interested in helping fund our growth, connect with us and help us put Greenville’s soda scene on the map.

How has Greenville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem supported your growth?
The entrepreneurial community here is incredible. There are so many niche programs and support groups that it feels almost impossible to fail. Fellow entrepreneurs and potential investors are all eager to offer guidance, incumbent knowledge, or support. Plus, most of our initial partners have been businesses started right here in the upstate, like Swamp Rabbit Cafe, Tropical Grille, Emily’s Pantry, Evolve, and Seven Victory Fitness, just to name a few.

What sets your business apart from others in the same industry?
Most brands are cramming as much protein as possible into their products — often from low-quality sources like collagen or pea protein — then loading up on sweeteners and artificial ingredients to make it all palatable. We went the other direction. ProSo uses whey protein isolate, the gold standard in protein quality, in a smarter, more intentional dose. The result is a soda that's light, crisp, and made with as few ingredients as possible. Delicious enough for kids, clean enough for the health-conscious, and simple enough for everyone in between.

Are there any local collaborations or partnerships you’ve formed that have been especially impactful?
Tropical Grille was the first business to buy into our vision, and as the local healthy-food spot, we couldn’t have dreamed of a better partnership. When we met Laz, the owner, he told us he hasn’t been a soda drinker for years, but said ProSo changed that for him. We also just did our first-ever tasting event with Swamp Rabbit Cafe, and the response was phenomenal. Being a family-friendly venue located on the trail, they naturally attract active, health-conscious, and family-oriented customers, giving us an opportunity to receive direct feedback from the people ProSo was made for. The best part was seeing just how much all the kids loved it before they ran off to the playground.

How do you see yourself contributing to Greenville’s future as a thriving entrepreneurial hub?
Everything is about putting community first, and as we grow, we want to help bring awareness to all the other amazing local businesses being built here in the upstate. As a soda brand, fun is at the core of everything we do, and one of our goals is to one day host events (think: community olympics, local banana ball, etc.) that help connect brands to the community in a way that's more engaging than a typical farmers market or expo event.

RunVirt

This start up is running to the future of printing. | Photo by RunVirt

RunVirt is taking a new approach to one of America's oldest industries: printing. The company produces race bibs + participant identification for some of the world's largest endurance events. The company blends the art of printing with the technology of printed electronics for participant tracking.

Founded:
Started in 2020, RunVirt became a full-time venture in mid-2022

Employees + hiring:
RunVirt went from a solopreneur organization in 2022 to three employees in 2023 to six employees in 2024 (with three to four contractors that support during peak seasons). So if trends continue, they’ll be hiring more.

Elevator pitch:
What started out as a print brokering business in a bonus room of a home in 2022 has quickly evolved into a custom-built production line that allows RunVirt to produce race bibs in one of the most cost-effective and energy-efficient ways to date. Within the past 6 months, they have added RFID label services, setting them apart and providing the most cost-efficient race bib+timing tag bundle in the US. They are also looking to pursue the newest of technologies with AI and machine learning to develop the concept further.

Why the Upstate?
This region has historically been a massive hub for the production of race bibs in the US. One of the major early producers of the product was Electric City Printing, based in Anderson. It produced bibs for events like the 1984 LA Olympics + the Boston Marathon (for decades). They are no longer in existence, but there was a talent pool here that RunVirt could utilize to reduce its learning curve by decades.

What do you need?
Additional funding would help accelerate plans to go beyond bibs + RFID, while the same is true for more web developers, as RunVirt looks to build solutions that have not existed before with AI and machine learning. Plus, more customers are always needed.

How has the Upstate’s entrepreneurial ecosystem supported your growth?
RunVirt was the first graduate of the Incubator Program with Anderson County Economic Development.

What sets your business apart from others in the same industry?
Our competitors don't have to disrupt to exist, but for RunVirt to exist, we must disrupt, and that disruption is what leads to innovation. We are actively working towards crafting the future of our product and how it is used in the endurance event industry while others are focused on keeping the status quo. When you are a new company in an existing industry like ours, it can seem daunting to get a foothold because most people don't like change. We view that as less of a challenge and more of an opportunity.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge that we have faced to date was shifting our business model from a brokering model to a manufacturing model. We went from a subsidized office and warehouse space courtesy of Anderson County to finding production space that checked our boxes. We then had to work to craft a production process + equipment that would give us an advantage over our competition and get it financed and, last but not least, installed and functional. This was our first major hurdle, and it was and still is not easy, but we are a gritty and crafty bunch, and I couldn't be more proud of our team.

What advice do you have for fellow entrepreneurs?
Everyone hears "entrepreneur" and thinks of the Silicon Valley-types of companies that have contributed so much to our modern world, but that is the very rare few. A big draw to entrepreneurship, to me, was being able to own my outcomes, good or bad.

I crave our business's competitive nature, but I also enjoy making something. We started as a broker-type of business, and I swore I would never get into actual production until it became painfully evident that it was the best route. That decision, while frightful, will be what sets us up to create the new "sexy" ideas for our industry.

Tabbi

Tabbi makes going out easier. | Photo by Tabbi

After nearly a decade in restaurant operations and too many frustrating experiences waiting to pay, Tabbi founder Brad Loflin set out to make leaving a bar or restaurant as effortless as stepping out of an Uber.

What started as a fix for payments quickly evolved + Tabbi became a platform that enhances how people explore, connect, and engage with their favorite venues.

Founded:
Born in 2021, the app beta launched in 2023

Employees + hiring:
Tabbi has seven full-time employees + three part-time employees. It is not currently hiring but may be later this year.

Elevator pitch:
Tabbi makes going out seamless: Open a tab from your phone the moment you arrive, and pay when you’re ready—no waiting, no paper and pen. See where friends are, explore specials + events, and unlock exclusive venue offers in real time. Whether you’re grabbing drinks after work or exploring a new city, Tabbi connects you to the best spots while making payments easy.

Why Greenville?
Greenville is in a growth phase with new places to dine and commune popping up every week, yet there is still a strong sense of community and local stewardship that has allowed us to build genuine relationships with our early adopters — both users and operators alike. It’s also our hometown, and we love that we get to be part of such a supportive community here.

What do you need?
We are currently raising capital to fuel our regional growth across the Southeast.

We’re also looking for customer feedback. We want to hear directly from users about what they like about the app, and what features they would be most excited to see implemented in the future.

How has Greenville's entrepreneurial ecosystem supported your growth?
There’s a willingness in the entrepreneurial community to truly listen and understand your value proposition and connect you with the right people. Every restauranteur has an entrepreneurial spirit, and our early partners have resonated with our desire to improve by integrating new technologies targeted at operational efficiency without compromising customer service.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages, and how did you overcome them?
Early on, the biggest challenge was realizing just how many details go into starting a mobile app, especially one that relies on real-world adoption at scale. It’s one thing to build a product that solves a pain point, but getting people to change their habits and download an app means competing for the most expensive real estate in the world — a spot on their phone.

Fundraising is always a challenge in the early stages, but the biggest lesson through it all has been simple: just don’t quit. Talk to customers, get real feedback, and iterate to create true value. Building something new is never a straight line, but persistence and adaptability are what keep things moving forward.

What sets your business apart from others in the same industry?
Tabbi stands apart by integrating payments with real-time social connection, creating a unified platform for users, venues, and brands. While many solutions focus solely on payments or loyalty, Tabbi is a unique platform that connects people to places and brands in a way that enhances the entire hospitality experience:

For users, Tabbi eliminates the friction of closing out a tab while also providing social discovery, seeing where friends are, connecting with new people nearby, and discovering real-time specials and events.
For venues, our direct integration with Toast POS makes adoption effortless, requiring no extra hardware or separate payment processing.
For brands, Tabbi provides a unique direct-to-consumer engagement at the moment purchasing decisions are made so brands can send promotions to the customers that are likely to consume their products.

Are there any local collaborations or partnerships you’ve formed that have been especially impactful?
Our partnership with the venue operators in Greenville has been incredible, starting with our original beta partnership with Barley’s and Trappe Door, then our Toast beta venue, Magnetic South Brewery, and continuing with our key partnerships with Larkin’s Group, New Realm, and PKL Park.

Meeting new people can be challenging, but with Tabbi, you can see nearby profiles and send messages to break the ice — a digital introduction to a personal interaction. Partnering with Single Scene on their events has been a great opportunity to see connections formed through the app

Our partnership with Rebel Rabbit is also helping us tap into a new segment in the beverage industry and brainstorm how we can help brands connect directly with new customers.

Daylight Burrito

How long would you wait for a Daylight Burrito? | Photo by Daylight Burrito

Founded:
2022

Employees + hiring:

One full-time + three part-time

Yes, we're hiring

Elevator pitch:

Outside of a biscuit or diner, what breakfast food do you think of in Greenville? That's interesting, and we're a bit out of the box.

Why Greenville?

I love Greenville. It's big enough that we don't feel small and small enough that we don't feel big. There are millennials here who enjoy our aesthetic.

What do you need?

We need capital for a space right now.

How has Greenville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem supported your growth?
We were approached with the opportunity to do GVLStarts Demo Day at Furman, covered by a scholarship. I got a fire hose of A-to-Z on starting a business, dos and don'ts, from really wise and seasoned business owners and Furman professors. In that program, I also got to see people at various stages of their business from, "I have an idea, I'm not really sure if it's going to work," to "We have contracts with Walmart," so the spectrum of thoughts and how they approached different problems that arise when starting a business, especially here in Greenville, was excellent guidance for me.

Ducklinks

In addition to the app, Ducklinks hosts kid-friendly events. | Photo by Ducklinks

Founded:
Founded in April 2024, app launched in September 2025

Employees + hiring:

Two full-time + four part-time

While we aren’t hiring, we are looking to take on additional community partners whose missions align with ours.

Elevator pitch:

Greenville has an overwhelming number of children’s events and activities, but finding the right opportunities for your family and your kids is hard! The Ducklinks Dashboard provides members with curated recommendations based on family schedules, children’s ages and interests, and provides parents with an engaged and vibrant parent community. Our goal is to help parents make the most of their precious time with their young children.

Why Greenville?

Because I live here! Also, it has a strong startup ecosystem and a large young family demographic.

What do you need?

As an early-stage start up, we would certainly welcome money, but really, we want to get Ducklinks in the hands of as many parents in Greenville.

How has Greenville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem supported your growth?
I’m certain that if I started Ducklinks in a larger market, I would not have received the amount and quality of support I benefited from in Greenville. Several incredible people have been extremely generous with their time and resources, and we would not be where we are without them.

What sets your business apart from others in the same industry?
There are many ways to learn about kids' events and activities in Greenville, but this requires the parent to do all the work. If you are relying on Instagram, you need to cross-reference your calendar, click through to find out more details — e.g., is it age-appropriate, what is the cost, do you need to sign up in advance, etc., and then remember to go! Ducklinks provides these details and a whole host of other critical details — like whether it's stroller-friendly + whether the restrooms are clean — in a clean, easy-to-use platform, complete with calendar integration and event reminders.

Who inspires you? Bonus points if they're local.
Nicole Johnson of Boyd Cycling has become my friend and informal mentor. From our initial introduction at the NextGEN Summit in 2023, Nicole has shown me that a mother of young children can be a successful startup founder. I am often, if not always, a minority in the room (whether it be speaking with developers, potential investors, or other technology leaders), and knowing that Nicole has navigated these waters successfully gives me the confidence to stand tall in these rooms. I’ll also mention that we are a women-led business, with 5 out of our six employees being women.

How do you see yourself contributing to Greenville’s future as a thriving entrepreneurial hub?
My goal is to become a success story for Greenville entrepreneurs. I want to inspire and help bring along other eager entrepreneurs, as so many have done for me.