Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Knoxville:

Orion Therapeutics has been awarded a National Science Foundation Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer grant to advance the company’s lead asset for restenosis, powered by its GENESYS™ targeted delivery platform.

This funding will support studies that both move our asset toward IND-enabling development and further validate the GENESYS™ platform as a lipopeptide-enabled lipid nanoparticle delivery system designed to improve on safety, stability, scalability, and targeted delivery.

At Orion, this effort is part of a broader mission to solve the delivery problem and enable gene therapies to reach areas of the body once considered untreatable.

PerfectServe^®, a leading provider of cloud-based unified communication and provider scheduling solutions, has announced that it has surpassed $100 million in contracted annual recurring revenue. This achievement underscores the accelerating adoption of the company’s unified platform, which combines advanced communication, scheduling, call center, and clinical workflow capabilities with a steadfast commitment to interoperability.

“Healthcare organizations are under pressure to do more with less, and it’s precisely why the PerfectServe platform is resonating,” said PerfectServe Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillaume Castel. “By consolidating the functionality of over a dozen disparate tools in one unified solution, we help our customers simplify operations and reduce costs while giving clinicians more quality time with patients. Our growth reflects the compelling ROI we deliver to healthcare organizations, the value we add to their existing investments, and the expertise our team brings every day.”

From Oak Ridge:

The “Innovation Crossroads” program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is now accepting applications for its 10^th cohort, through November 7. Ahead of the deadline, two additional information sessions are planned. One will be held at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 16, and the other is planned for 12 noon EDT on November 4.

The program provides:

1. A two-year fellowship, including a personal living stipend, health insurance stipend, and travel allowance;
2. $150,000 of R&D funding to scale and de-risk your technology;
3. R&D assistance from ORNL staff scientists and engineers; and
4. Dedicated laboratory and office space.

To register for the remaining two informational sessions, click here. To apply for “Innovation Crossroads,” click here.

From Chattanooga:

The Chattanooga Technology Council’s Technology Excellence (TechX) Awards were presented on Thursday evening during the sixth annual event held at the Wolford Family Athletic Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The winners were:

1.  AI Innovation Award, sponsored by Unum Group: Vijayalakshmi Kumarasamy;
2. CxO Leader of the Year Award, sponsored by CGI: Sheila Boyington (Thinking Media);
3. Early Innovator Award, sponsored by Kenco Group: Nomad by One-off Robotics;
4. Emerging Tech Student Award: Sullivan Clarke (University of Tennessee);
5. Tech Company of the Year Award, sponsored by BuildWithin: EirSystems, Inc.;
6. Tech Educator of the Year Award: Lora Taylor (Hamilton County Schools);
7. Tech for Good Award, sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies: Vijayalakshmi Kumarasamy for her work on SafeDrive;
8. Tech Marketing Excellence Award: Jason Heymann (CBL Properties); and
9. Woman in Tech Leadership Award, sponsored by TEKsystems: Daniela LaCelle (Unum Group).

From Nashville:

Nominations for the 2026 Greater Nashville Technology Council (GNTC) Awards are officially open, but close soon. This year, the GNTC is bringing the celebration back to the Country Music Hall of Fame, after incredible feedback from attendees last year, with a Denim & Diamonds theme.

For 17 years, the GNTC Awards have celebrated the people and companies driving innovation, growth, and impact across Middle Tennessee’s tech community. There are 15 categories:

• Chief Data Officer (CDO) of the Year;
• Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Year;
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Year;
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Year;
• Community Leader of the Year;
• Data Professional of the Year;
• Emerging Leader of the Year;
• Innovation Initiative of the Year;
• Information Security Professional of the Year;
• Senior Tech Sales Exec of the Year;
• Software Engineer of the Year;
• Team Catalyst of the Year;
• Tech Company of the Year;
• Tech Educator of the Year; and
• “Tech for Good” Award.

Nominations close on October 1. To nominate someone, click here.

From Nashville but with Statewide Implications:

The University of Tennessee (UT) Center for Industrial Services (CIS) was one of three recipients of grants awarded from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA awarded $1.1 million to the three organizations to provide training and technical assistance to support small manufacturers in the SBA’s Empower to Grow (E2G) program.

“We’re excited and proud to be one of three E2G award winners across the U.S.” said CIS Executive Director Paul Jennings. “We look forward to helping small manufacturers in rural, distressed areas achieve their performance goals.

The award recipients will deliver regional support to small manufacturers in critical industries, in support of the agency’s Made in America Manufacturing Initiative to restore American jobs, industry and national security.

CIS, an agency of the UT Institute for Public Service, will provide workforce training, hands-on technical assistance, and process improvement services to small manufacturers across Tennessee. CIS’ grant is $350,000 over 12 months. The initiative will focus on customers in rural, underserved, and economically distressed areas that face significant workforce shortages, operational inefficiencies, and limited access to formal training. The project will reach 150 individuals at 20 to 25 E2G-eligible businesses, with priority on manufacturers in persistent poverty counties. CIS will deliver services through its locations in Knoxville, Nashville, Jackson, and Tullahoma, and through on-site delivery at participating manufacturers’ facilities.

From Washington, DC, but with Tennessee Implications:

The latest edition of the SSTI Weekly Digest includes an article from the U.S. Economic Development Administration that says the latest cuts in the federal budget will impact the University Center program. There are two in Tennessee, one operated by Tennessee Tech University and the other operated by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services.

The cuts to the 45-year-old program also includes elimination of the Trade Adjustment Assistance to firms and STEM Talent Challenge. The reason cited was budget constraints.

There are 70 centers across 47 states.

From Memphis:

Epicenter’s inaugural innovation conference, named DelTech and presented by Independent Bank, is coming to downtown Memphis October 8-10.

On the final day of the conference, there will be three separate pitch competitions, presented by Paragon Bank, each competing for a $25,000 prize. The pitch competitions are separated by industry verticals; medical device, logistics, and general tech.

1. MedTech: MiCarePath, ConveyMed, Mighty Zebras Bio, MedTech Solutions LLC, and TrueX/FlowZone.
2. Logistics: ShipIt Pro, FreightLens, Limber Robotics, Wirebee Inc., and Numsage.
3. Tech: BVO, Express Wages, Pathlight, and Upsquad.

Tickets are available at this link.

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