Memphis startups are making a splash. Here’s a list to keep an eye on
Also, mark your calendar for DelTech, the premier entrepreneurial gathering in Memphis from October 14-16.
Across the state of Tennessee, entrepreneurs are building big things – and that includes founders stationed in Memphis! At Launch Tennessee’s 3686, West Tennessee had a big turnout of talent. Teknovation met with leadership at Epicenter, the Memphis-based entrepreneur center, to learn more about regional initiatives and emerging startups worth watching.
Anthony Young, president and CEO of Epicenter, said the Delta has changed significantly since the organization opened in 2017. In that time, Young said Epicenter has served more than 2,000 entrepreneurs in and around Memphis. The Commercial Appeal reported that Epicenter has also driven more than $110 million in investment in Memphis and helped create hundreds of jobs through the years.
One of the top ways Epicenter can help is by connecting companies with their first customers.
“We’re really seeing this ecosystem bubbling up,” he said. “Memphis may not be able to compete with some of these other ecosystems in terms of access to capital, but we can compete and win in regards to access to customers.”
The customer access is clearest in the industries below.
Key industries and the startups worth watching
Supply Chain & Logistics
Memphis is home to 3,600 supply chain company headquarters, according to Young. It is also the birthplace of FedEx, which pioneered overnight delivery. Logistics innovation is part of the city’s DNA, and a new generation of startups is building on it.
Ship It Pro
Teknovation first featured founder Wesley Montague during his participation in Chattanooga’s Company Lab (CO.LAB) Sustainable Mobility Accelerator in 2025. However, Montague was only visiting the Gig City from his Memphis home base, where he’s scaling his startup Ship It Pro. His company is bringing accountability to the table for damaged loads and claims, one of the freight industry’s costliest headaches.
“Our company was built from nearly 20 years of firsthand experience in freight, packaging and load securement, and we are now building that technology here in Memphis,” Montague said.
According to Ship It Pro, damaged freight costs more than $200 billion a year once losses, insurance claims, delays, and hidden costs are counted. The company’s software adds accountability with a dock-to-dock verification system. It captures delivery conditions and compiles them into detailed Load Execution Reports. Check out Teknovation’s prior coverage of Ship It Pro.
Limber Robotics
Where Ship It Pro tracks freight, Limber Robotics is speeding it up inside the warehouse. The startup builds high-speed robotic solutions for order fulfillment and supply chain operations.
Husband-and-wife duo Evan and Suzanne Drumwright founded the company and attended 3686 in September.
“We’re building software to help robots perform better across industries, so it was exciting to see how many different conversations and sectors we naturally fit into,” Suzanne said. “The more we connect those strengths across the state, the stronger Tennessee becomes.”
MedTech & Medical Devices
Logistics may be the city’s calling card, but medical device startups are a major industry for the city’s economy.
“Memphis is actually the No. 2 hub for medical devices across the country, second only to Warsaw, Indiana,” Young said. “At Epicenter, we run an accelerator called ZeroTo510, which brings entrepreneurs from day zero to getting their federal 510(k) clearance.”
The program has been running for 12 years, predating Epicenter.
PopCheck Technologies
Founded by Erika Dillard, PopCheck Technologies is developing AI-enabled wearables and a connected digital platform for remote patient monitoring. The goal is to noninvasively predict and manage surgical complications such as venous clots.
Recently, the company received a Notice of Award for a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health.
Provision Surgical
Provision Surgical is building the PAIR Guide, an augmented reality navigation system and smart glasses platform for orthopedic surgery.
Co-founders Abdullah Bahour and Joyce Wang are both University of Memphis alumni. The company’s roots are in Memphis, though the team now spends much of its time in Nashville’s health care ecosystem.
“Epicenter has put us in the right doors; they’re giving us the right information; they’re challenging us on our beliefs and our systems,” Bahour said.
Teknovation published a recent story on Provision Surgical, following its participation in the statewide 3686 Pitch Competition. Read the full story here.
MiCare Path
MiCare Path uses remote patient monitoring to keep care going between office visits. A patient who regularly checks their blood pressure, for example, can log readings and track activity levels in the company’s app.
The key selling point is two-way communication. Patients and providers stay in regular contact about care. The company says that leads to better outcomes for patients and stronger billing support for providers.
Led by CEO Scott Laster, MiCare Path earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies in 2026.
Fintech & Professional Services
Financial and professional technology are also emerging industries in the region. We’ve chosen to highlight two that have created some traction in their customer base across Memphis – and the state!
Express Wages
“This is a financial technology that allows wage workers to get access to their paycheck before traditional pay time,” Young said. “It’s a great solution for a place like Memphis where there is so much predatory lending.”
More than 60% of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck, according to Express Wages, often relying on overdrafts or payday loans to get by. Express Wages positions itself as a non-predatory alternative to payday lenders and check-cashing businesses.
The company was one of five startups selected in the statewide 3686 Pitch Competition in 2025.
Visalaw.ai
Visalaw.ai builds AI tools for immigration attorneys. The company spun out of Siskind Susser, a Memphis immigration law firm, and uses trusted legal data and purpose-built AI to help lawyers work faster and stay accurate as regulations shift.
The company raised a $1.6 million seed round led by Atlanta-based Valor Ventures. In June, it won the $100,000 grand prize at the Sloss.Tech/Ideas Southeast Pitch Competition in Birmingham.
Visalaw.ai is led by co-founder and CEO Josh Waddell.
Want to learn about more Memphis startups? DelTech is the place to be!
- Founder of the Year – Celebrating a standout tech founder demonstrating meaningful traction and growth over the past 12–18 months.
- The Catalyst Award – Honoring a champion of the ecosystem who opens doors, builds bridges, and makes others’ success possible.
- The First Check Award – Recognizing an investor or group committed to backing early-stage founders, especially those often overlooked.
- The Problem Solver Award – Spotlighting a startup or partnership that has delivered real-world impact in key industries like logistics, MedTech, or ag/CleanTech.
Then, of course, one of the premier events of the conference is the pitch competition. This year, the DelTech Pitch Competition is split into three categories: technology, MedTech, and entertainment/tourism. A $5,000 prize will be awarded to the winner in each category.
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