Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Knoxville:

• AutoMetrics, a member of the current cohort of the “Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator,” will be exhibiting at Automate 2024 at McCormick Place in Chicago this week. The start-up will be showcasing its Inspection 4.0 technology that provides an experienced welder’s eyes for real-time monitoring and detecting issues before leading to costly defects, downtime, and loss of reliability.
• Robin Parton Pate, former Chief Operating Officer at the Knoxville-based Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), has been named Vice President of Marketing for Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading M&A advisory company serving the modern automotive dealership market. In this role, she leads the company’s brand and content marketing efforts, contributing to developing increased reach, impact, and revenue-generating opportunities. Her responsibilities encompass brand development, content development, strategic partnerships, and supporting the expansion of the firm. Prior to her arrival at DCG, Pate spent the last four years as Chief Marketing Officer at Green Point, a start-up biotechnology company in the cannabis/hemp industry. During her tenure, she led strategic marketing efforts in the vertically integrated company, launched its e-commerce CPG brand that ranked as a top 10 percent performer in its category and garnered national and industry media attention for the brands.

From Johnson City:

Early bird tickets are now on sale for the second annual “Startup Mountain Summit” hosted by the FoundersForge team. Scheduled for September 30 and October 1 at East Tennessee State University’s Martin Center for the Arts, the event will feature 10 speakers over two days with a single goal: to help start-ups grow and launch successfully. To register, click here.

From Cookeville:

Applications for the Summer 2024 session of The Biz Foundry‘s “Start Up: Business Bootcamp” are now open. This opportunity for established businesses looking to “right the ship” or new business ideas that are trying to figure out the right path forward. The sessions begin June 3 with two 90-minute sessions per week on Mondays and Thursdays through June 27. Cost is $149 per person. To apply, click here.

From Crossville:

Roane State Community College was awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant to add a 4-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machining center and accessories to the Cumberland Business Incubator (CBI) Maker Space. The Tormach 1100MX CNC Milling Machine was installed and tested last year, and CBI Maker Space volunteers have since been trained on how to use the equipment. With this new resource, Roane State is offering America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) bootcamps that utilize the 4-axis CNC machining center to make ACE air engine components to specifications. The first ACE bootcamp was held in March. Additional ACE bootcamps will be offered at the CBI this summer, with sessions currently scheduled for June 24-28 and July 22-26, 2024. Registration is available online at cbimakerspace.com.

From Nashville but with Statewide Implications:

Tennessee-based partners and biotech companies attending BIO 2024 in San Diego, CA are invited to attend the Tennessee Reception presented by Nashville Biosciences. It will be held on Wednesday, June 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. PDT at Madam Bonnie’s in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. To register, click here.

From Nashville:

SoBet, a provider of a sports betting creator platform, has raised $3.7 million in initial funding in a round led by Third Kind Venture Capital. The company intends to use the funds to hire talent focusing on product development, UX design and growth marketing.

As previously reported in teknovation.biz, the deadline is looming for start-ups to apply for the Ford Urbanite Memphis Mobility Challenge and a chance to secure a share of more than $600,000 in mobility pilot grants, investment, and comprehensive support. Interested individuals have until May 10 to apply for the Memphis Challenge that offers successful entrepreneurs up to $150,000 each to deploy mobility solutions across the city in one or more of four areas:

• Safe access to transportation: Providing a sense of safety to women, children and other vulnerable groups leaving home to get into a vehicle.
• Safety through the entire mobility journey: A door-to-door solution that ensures a safe and secure environment for commuting.
• Personal vehicle: Accessibility to personal vehicles, where ownership may not be feasible.
• Understanding the total cost of mobility and car ownership: Affordable solutions to own a car that is legal and safe for the road, with insurance and regular maintenance.

The application link is here.

Also from Memphis:

Epicenter, the Memphis-based program that is part of the Launch Tennessee entrepreneur center network, recently held a graduation ceremony for its first Capital Readiness Accelerator cohort. The program was intentionally designed to equip founders with tools for success in the fundraising landscape. Phase 1 of the program, “So You Think You Want Investment,” included two tracks: an equity investment group led by Nate Smith, Epicenter’s Director of Start-up Services, and a debt investment group led by Choya Johnson, Capital Programs Specialist. Discussions covered topics such as understanding, analyzing, preparing for, and navigating debt capital acquisition. In addition to gaining access to tailored fundraising support, graduates of Phase 1 are eligible to apply to Phase 2 of the program titled “Be Smarter than Your Banker.”

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