Young Upstarts

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For a city that cherishes its history, it also embraces innovation.  Meet the young’uns leading the way.

In our January/February issue, we check in with Savannah families who’ve been in business for 70 years or more. For the web, we asked Kim Wade to introduce us to some smart startups.

Focus Lab:  3 Years

The team at Focus Lab doesn’t just create visually stunning websites; they design each client’s brand identity.  Erik Reagan and Bill Kenney opened up shop in April 2010.  Despite their intention to grow slowly, Focus Lab doubles its revenue every year, working with everyone from small mom-and-pop shops to billion-dollar companies.

Rails Machine:  7 Years

Need a Ruby on Rails app to run your business?  Then Rails Machine can help.  In non-geek terms, this Savannah-based firm handles the hard parts of growing a product on the web.  Founded in 2006 by Bradley Taylor, Rails Machine boasts more than 100 customers in 15 countries with more than $1 million in revenue.

Commerce V3:  6 Years

Blake Ellis and Nathan Focht began developing general web apps in 2000, but they locked into the e-commerce niche in 2004.  Commerce V3 became the official title of their venture three years later, and the duo has processed more than $1 billion in sales.  They’re focus is on small to medium retailers, but some of their clients rake in more than $15 million in sales each year.

TalentSoup:  5 Years

“Chef” Radford Harrell’s idea for TalentSoup simmered several years before he launched his fast and efficient online booking service for models and actors in 2008.  Think Amazon.com for commercial advertising.  The business triples its numbers every year and boasts loyal clients from major companies such as Coca-Cola, AT&T and Weight Watchers.

Blue Lime Studios:  12 Years

Three guys from the SCAD architecture department walked into a business.  Luckily, they weren’t joking around when they created Blue Lime Studios in 2000.  Ken Elwood, Scott Swenson and Chad Warner create breathtaking architectural renderings and animated walk-throughs that span from Ellis Square to Dubai.

OurLife Health:  2 Years

The doctor is in—and extra pounds are out.  Dr. Paul Bradley founded OurLife Health in 2010 to help Savannahians reach their weight loss, health and fitness goals.  His local office provides personal training, diet plans and medical weight loss solutions—while his OurSkinny products ship to 37 states.

SLAAM Ventures:  4 Months

The luck ‘o’ the Irish in Savannah must be rubbing off on the new kids in town at SLAAM Ventures.  Founders John O. Morisano and Amy Factor opened their doors in October 2012 and eager entrepreneurs are lining up for their services.  SLAAM offers seed funding to companies based in Savannah.  They have already received more than 30 pitches and partnered up with three local companies.