Roobrik putting Launch Place, NC Idea grant funding to work

Virginia-based The Launch Place invested $200,000 in Greensboro-based Roobrik Inc. in May to expand Roobrik’s capabilities and reach for its online tools aimed at the senior care market. The company also won a recent NC Idea grant of $50,000. Nate O’Keefe, Roobrik’s CEO, says the company is already putting the funds to work.

Roobrik works with senior care organizations who are interested in helping older adults and their families make more informed care decisions. These organizations use Roobrik tools on their websites to reach families who are uncertain about their care needs and options.

The Launch Place Pre-Seed Investment enabled Roobrik to launch pilot tests with three senior care providers, all of whom have remained customers following the pilot period.

“This is exactly what the Pre-Seed program is designed to do; support further testing and customer validation of the product, and refinement of the company’s business model to prepare these entrepreneurs to raise more substantial funding through either The Launch Place Seed Fund, angels, venture funds or some combination thereof,” said Eva Doss, The Launch Place president & CEO.

“Roobrik is the first company that has started in the Pre-Seed program, met all the milestones established for investment, and more than doubled their customer base in less than six months.”

O’Keefe tells WRAL TechWire, “We’ve had a great summer.” Using the Launch Place funds, the five employee firm hired a product development manager. It’s also funding operations.

“In addition to the Pre-Seed funds, The Launch Place Team helped us refine our business model, generate substantial PR, win new business, and reach additional funding partners,” said O’Keefe. “We’ve really been able to focus on what’s most important: developing new and better tools to help families with these really hard decisions, and getting them out in front of wider audiences through our partners.”

O’Keefe said the company has nine customers in Senior Care and a agency in Durham, and a company that advocates for Alzheimer’s research.

The NC Idea grant will fund its go-to-market strategy, which includes attending a major Senior Care conference in Chicago at the end of September.

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