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July 02, 2018 | Tom Ballard

Finalists named for “36|86: Student Edition” competition

Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) announced the 13 finalists from seven different schools selected to compete at “36|86: Student Edition,” a student pitch competition held annually in conjunction with “36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival.”

Vanderbilt University placed the most finalists – four – followed by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) with three.

By institution, the finalists are:

  • Vanderbilt – Fathom, PredictionHealth, Synchro Motion LLC, and Zeno Power Systems.
  • UTK – Flo+ Co, Greenleaf Solutions, and Swarm Solutions.
  • Belmont University – College In Color and Studious Freelancing.
  • Rhodes College – Clu Technologies.
  • Tennessee Tech University – ATS Innovations.
  • UT Chattanooga – The Birds + The Bees.
  • University of Memphis – Allinwon.

The special pitch competition is designed to create a more connected entrepreneurial community by engaging existing university programs, increasing the amount of successful student-led entrepreneurial ventures in Tennessee. In addition to the pitch competition, the event will include a workshop tailored to the audience, and a panel discussion with seasoned student entrepreneurs.

Earlier this year, student founders from universities and community colleges across Tennessee were invited to apply to participate in the “36|86: Student Edition” event. From that pool, LaunchTN selected the 3 finalists.

On August 28, the day before the “36|86 Festival” begins, the finalists will be paired with mentors to help refine their pitch and business plan. They will then pitch to a panel of judges comprised of investors, successful founders, and community leaders. After that round, three teams will be selected as winners and could receive up to $20,000 to invest in their business, based on the judges’ discretion. The audience will also select a team to win the $10,000 People Choices Award. This event is open to the public and free to attend.


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