Investment fund benefits ECU alumni locally and globally

An investment fund created in part to help ECU-affiliated entrepreneurs with their businesses and startups is making news once again. The Pirate Entrepreneurship Fund (PEF) has invested in a Greenville-based accounting and advisory firm, and its second investment in an international software company, which is helping to support customers in nine countries. 

The multi-million-dollar PEF fund was launched in early 2022 in support of ECU founded by a group of strong Pirate supporters. This investment is aligned with the goal of supporting ECU innovation, entrepreneurship and technology commercialization at an accelerated pace.

Kellam & Campbell Accounting LLP provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, business consulting, CFO services, and tax planning to people and businesses around the world. The firm was co-founded by ECU alumni Christopher Kellam ’10 ’16 and David Campbell ’10 ’13. They said this investment will allow them to better serve their clients with technology and services, no matter where they are.  

Norwegian software company Bsure AS (Bsure) was cofounded by ECU alumnus Henrik Skalmerud ’11. Bsure offers an all-encompassing solution for monitoring and managing Microsoft (and other) enterprise licenses and enhancing enterprise security by removing closed, dormant, or obsolete users and licenses before they become unknowing backdoors for hackers, malware and ransomware agents. This second investment from the PEF will allow Bsure to, among other tings, expand its team and add new AI-driven capabilities that make it more actionable. 

“Congratulations to David, Christopher and Henrik. They embody the entrepreneurial spirit of our alumni. They also showcase the reach of Pirate entrepreneurs across the globe and how our networks are expanding,” said Dr. Mike Harris Dean of ECU’s College of Business. “These are great examples of Pirates supporting Pirates!” 

Learn more about the PEF’s investments on the Kellam & Campbell and Bsure websites.