Two Knoxville/Oak Ridge companies part of 2015 “GIGTANK”
Two start-ups from the Knoxville-Oak Ridge community join 12 others in the 2015 “GIGTANK” cohort. The local companies are Evolvr of Knoxville and Global Security Information Analysts (GSIA) of Oak Ridge.
Evolvr develops interactive virtual reality content that enables real estate groups and their clients the abili9ty to immerse themselves in potential properties. GSIA developed VortexT® which is a mobile app delivering relevant healthcare information to providers on a daily basis.
GSIA Chair and Chief Executive Officer is long-time Oak Ridge entrepreneur Barry Goss, Founder of Pro2Serve, a nationally-recognized technical and engineering services firm. In fact, Goss and Pro2Serve are arguably the most successful start-up to emerge from Tech 2020 during the venture development organization’s 20-year history.
“This is a proven technology, but our first venture outside the national security marketplace.” Goss said of the new healthcare focus. “We looked at a variety of accelerators and decided that ‘GIGTANK’ offered us the higher probability of success.”
Twelve of the start-ups are working with advanced networks, while two are 3D printing companies continuing a theme launched during last year’s “GIGTANK.” The teams’ applications cover a broad range of opportunities – from virtual reality and big data analytics to beacon and sensor technologies, gigabit Wi-Fi, and the “Internet of Things.”
The 14 teams will be supported by four specialists throughout the summer.
CO.LAB, host for the program, said that most of the teams will be present in Chattanooga starting May 25 with free housing provided by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Six teams will participate virtually as part of “GIGTANK’s” new dual-enrollment partnerships with other regional start-up accelerators.
As previously noted in a teknovation.biz post, Knoxville native Alex Lavidge is this year’s “GIGTANK” Director.
Here’s the full CO.LAB release (GIGTANK2015_Teams Announcement_Local_20150512), and here is the list of the participating start-ups (Startup Team Bios_GIGTANK 2015).
