COLUMBIA — As local leaders look to promote the city’s tech industry, a Colombian startup has made a major investment.
AI QWERKYan artificial intelligence company, received a $400,000 investment from SC Launch Inc., according to a Feb. 17 release.
SC Launch Inc. is the investment arm of the South Carolina Research Authority, a nonprofit organization established by the state in 1987 to support technology startups.
QWERKY AI provides services to help make artificial intelligence systems more efficient and reduce the cost, energy and infrastructure requirements of AI-powered systems, according to the press release.
“QWERKY AI reflects the type of transformative and forward-thinking innovation that we are proud to support,” Lee MacIlwinen, SCRA program director, said in the release. “Their approach to AI development puts usability and trust at the forefront, values that closely align with our mission. »
A common criticism of artificial intelligence programs is that they consume a lot of energy and are dependent on data centers for their operation. A data center operates 24/7 and requires large amounts of energy and water. According to an earlier report by the Post and Courier, a 200-megawatt hyperscale data center would consume enough energy to power more than 109,000 Georgia homes on a peak summer day.
The tech startup opened its headquarters at 700 Huger St. in Columbia in May 2025. The company became a member company of the SCRA in August 2025, according to the press release.
“By reducing costs without degrading model performance, QWERKY AI not only positions itself at the forefront of the global race for efficiency, but also fuels AI talent development and deep technology innovation within South Carolina’s emerging technology corridor,” Javon Jones, SCRA senior investment associate, said in the release.
Local leaders have touted Colombia’s potential as a booming tech market.
“The fact that we’re going to have our own (AI) company right here in Columbia, South Carolina, that we can rely on and all South Carolinians can rely on, we don’t have to go to a West Coast company, we can go to the East Coast right here in the Southeast is incredible,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said at the grand opening of QWERKY AI’s headquarters on May 6 2025.
The Boyd Innovation Center open in Five Points in 2022 to serve as an incubator for startups, with the support of attorney and former state senator Dick Harpootlian.
The city sold the office building at 2221 Devine St. in Five Points to Southeastern Technology Centers, LLC in May 2025. The city and buyer have said little about the building’s future, but public officials have indicated the building will house offices for technology companies.