A Birmingham-based tech company that is offering an electrical system mapping application has raised $1 million in funding following its graduation from the “Techstars Alabama Energy Tech Accelerator.” Named Con.doit, the start-up offers an app that creates an electrical system record, consolidating all data about electrical equipment records, system efficiency,

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Sam Weaver is one of the region’s most senior entrepreneurs. When we first interviewed the President and Chief Executive Officer of Proton Power Inc. more than eight years ago, Weaver said he had been involved in at least 10 start-ups since leaving Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1970.

By Kailyn Lamb, Marketing Content Writer and Editor, PYA The Knoxville Chamber’s April “Economic Conditions Outlook” (ECO), financed by First Horizon Bank, showed some hopeful signs of industries returning to pre-pandemic revenues. Based on responses to the monthly survey of participating businesses in the manufacturing, retail, and services industries, the

The Sky City  Entrepreneur Center is holding what it is calling the “Side Hustle Happy Hour” from 6 to 7 p.m. May 20 at Tri-Hop Brewery, 205 Court Street, Maryville. “Have a side hustle, your own business, or dream of starting your own business? Join other Blount County entrepreneurs for

Registration is now open for the 2021 “Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development.” After skipping last year due to COVID-19, the Department of Economic and Community Development’s plans call for a very abbreviated event. Registration will be held for two hours the afternoon of August 4, and the program

To assist entrepreneurs utilizing two programs – Ideator and Builder – at Vanderbilt University’s the Wond’ry Center, the organization has partnered with the institution’s Information Technology (VUIT) organization to launch the Wond’ry-VUIT Genius Bar. As described in this post, the Wond’ry worked with 27 entrepreneurial teams that used one of the two

Tennessee is one of eight states where entrepreneurs and innovators will be served by the new Southeast Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Growth Hub. The initiative is a partnership involving the Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse College and PRENEURology Global. The two-year pilot is funded by a $1.4 million cooperative

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first article in a series spotlighting the participants in the inaugural cohort of the 100Knoxville initiative. What better person to launch the series that Sterling Henton, a former Tennessee Volunteer football player now known as “Sterl The Pearl.”) By Kailyn Lamb, Marketing Content Writer and

By Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, PYA As noted in this mid-April article in teknovation.biz, the Inventor’s Network KY held “InventorCon ‘21” virtually at the end of last week, and we had the opportunity to join a couple of the sessions on two of the three days. Both we focused on

The Cumberland Business Incubator, operated by Roane State Community College at its Crossville campus, is bringing back the “Verizon Innovative Learning” program. Focused on young women from rural communities – sixth through eighth graders, the initiative starts with a three-week summer camp beginning July 12 followed by one session per