Savannah, home to one of the busiest ports in the United States, is making a big push to be a startup hub.
Central to that push is the newly-launched Savannah Harbor Innovation Partnership (aptly using the acronym SHIP), a venture that builds upon the foundation of the Savannah Logistics Innovation Center (SLIC).
At the helm of SHIP (see what we did there?) is Executive Director Erem Latif, who told Hypepotamus that the organization is looking to “fill a gap” locally when it comes to supporting technology and tech-enabled local startups that need to be “piloted or are ready to scale.”
As a public-private partnership, SHIP will look to build up the next generation of startups in the Savannah area. SHIP just soft launched in March and is aiming to fully open as a membership-based trade association focused on bringing in corporate partners. While there is a large focus on local supply chain and logistics companies, the organization will also support new ventures across industry verticals that are building in Savannah.
Other industries with a strong presence in the Savannah region include AgTech, defense, and healthcare.
SHIP also plans to build out a new relationship with VentureSouth, an active early-stage fund that has a presence across the Southeast and which has recently expanded into Savannah.
“I am excited about the potential this partnership holds for the Savannah region. By building on past successes and leveraging our collective strengths, we are making an evolutionary step in our mission to foster the thriving innovation ecosystem to attract investment and drive economic growth,” said Bart Gobeil, SHIP Chairman, in a press release.
As SHIP gets off the ground, the organization is ready to make a splash later this month at the Georgia Logistics Summit taking place in Atlanta.
Want to keep up with SHIP as it continues to grow in the Savannah area? Keep tabs on their website (you can sign up for their newsletter on there as well).