North Charleston equestrian tech startup receives $200,000 investment

SC Launch Inc., South Carolina Research Authority‘s investment affiliate, has allocated $200,000 to invest in an equestrian startup.

Horse Spot, a software company made for managing horse shows, has been a member of SCRA for five months. SCRA said that with the investment, the company has become an SC Launch portfolio member as well, according to a news release.

“The teams at SCRA and SC Launch Inc. understood our mission and passion for the equestrian industry early on,” Horse Spot co-founder and CEO Chris Lenard said in the release. “Our ability to revolutionize the management of horse shows, including real-time scoreboards and rider and horse stats, empowers both show managers and exhibitors with real-time data and automated reporting built by industry insiders.”

Horse Spot said Lindsay, Michael and Christopher Lenard used memories from childhood horse shows in the Chicagoland area to inspire the app’s purpose. The company is now based in North Charleston and Florida.

“Horse Spot’s innovative capabilities and service offerings are now managing shows in South Carolina and worldwide,” Bill Kirkland, SCRA interim president and CEO, said in the release. “They provide an all-in-one platform with a modern and user-friendly interface, and we’re proud to partner with them.”

Horse Spot works with governing bodies such as the United States Equestrian Federation, the United States Dressage Federation and the Fédération Equestre Internationale, according to the release.

“Their SaaS platform is modernizing equestrian competitions by providing a one-stop shop for shows to organize and digitize entries, manage scheduling and process payments in real time,” Kevin Eichelberger, SCRA senior investment manager, said in the release. “Horse Spot’s capabilities generate relevant data for riders and spectators and can be used for strategic planning and execution of future shows.”