Florida Institute Funds SharpSpring for Advanced Product Development and Market Launch

Company Receives Loan Through Seed Capital Accelerator Program

GAINESVILLE & BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research (the Institute) announced today that it has finalized a funding agreement with SharpSpring, providers of comprehensive sales and marketing management systems that allow businesses to track and optimize every aspect of the sales cycle from lead to close. The Institute works with Florida’s research universities and institutions to support new company and job growth, and the program bridges company funding gaps, enabling them to reach critical milestones and attract additional private investment capital.

“Companies like SharpSpring are creating innovative products and jobs in new industries that will provide Florida with a distinct competitive advantage, and we look forward to their continued growth and success.”

SharpSpring is the first marketing analytics and automation service specifically designed for the Small - Medium Business (SMB) market. Through integration with salesforce.com, and a client’s website, SharpSpring enables companies to analyze, optimize, and automate the entire lead generation process, enabling them to spend marketing budgets more effectively and efficiently. Incorporating technology licensed from the University of Florida, SharpSpring empowers SMBs to compete efficiently with simple-to-use and cost-effective marketing automation tools once reserved for large enterprises.

“Funds made available through the Seed Capital Accelerator Program come at a critical time for our company as we complete initial product development and begin to execute our go-to-market strategy”, said Rick Carlson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SharpSpring. “Combined with funding raised from private investors, we have been able to achieve these important milestones, and launch with our first customers well ahead of schedule.”

“SharpSpring exemplifies why the Institute’s Seed Capital Accelerator Program is so important to Florida’s overall economic development strategy,” said Jamie Grooms, Institute President and Chief Executive Officer. “Companies like SharpSpring are creating innovative products and jobs in new industries that will provide Florida with a distinct competitive advantage, and we look forward to their continued growth and success.”

About the Institute

Founded in 2007 as a non-profit organization, the Institute is Florida’s One-Stop-Shop for investors and entrepreneurs who seek to identify new opportunities based on technologies developed through publicly-funded research. The Institute delivers programs that facilitate new venture and job creation through commercially-viable technologies in major industries that are driving the global economy. The Institute also administers the Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant Program launched in 2010, and the Seed Capital Accelerator Program launched in 2011. For more information, visit www.florida-institute.com.

About SharpSpring

SharpSpring provides easy-to-use, affordable marketing software for small-to-medium businesses, enabling marketers to do far more with their resources than ever before possible. Through analytics and automation designed specifically for SMBs, SharpSpring empowers marketers to streamline the lead generation and sales process and accelerate growth. In contrast to solutions designed for large enterprises, SharpSpring’s unique SMB platform is designed to be used and managed by as little as one marketing person with almost no learning curve or implementation time, providing immediate return on investment through increased lead generation and sales.