Six start-ups and four emerging entrepreneurs selected to pitch at the 865 Fest in Knoxville
865 Fest is a full-day entrepreneurial event hosting visionary keynotes, premier pitch competitions, thought-provoking panels, and much more to explore how big ideas move from concept to reality.
On Tuesday, the Innov865 Alliance announced the six start-up founders who will be pitching at the annual 865 Fest, previously called Startup Day. The six companies span industries, from batteries and software to job networking sites and artificial intelligence.
Meet the 2025 Start-ups
Simba Jonga, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Laborup
Laborup was born out of a vision to bridge the gap between skilled blue-collar workers and ambitious manufacturing companies. Think of the platform like the “LinkedIn for blue-collar workers. Read more about Laborup on Teknovation.
Kimberly O’Neal, the Founder and CEO of Modern Working Moms
Formerly known as Modern Day Stay at Home Mom, Modern Working Moms is dedicated to empowering moms to work from home while keeping their families a priority. It connects skilled, talented mothers with businesses seeking affordable and reliable remote professionals. Read more about Modern Working Moms in Teknovation.
Joel Smith, the Founder and CEO of TeachCraft
TeachCraft helps teachers make the most of their time. The AI-driven platform takes the heavy lifting out of lesson planning, providing high-quality, fully aligned projects that bring teaching to life. The teachers set the vision, and Techcraft helps pave the way to meaningful, engaging learning experiences for students. Read more about Teachcraft in Teknovation.
Lance Adler, the Founder of Witching Hour
Witching Hour creates low-cost, rapid, and effective wildfire mitigation technology. The mission is to end preventable wildfires caused primarily by utility lines that have not been properly cared for or monitored. Read more about Witching Hour in Teknovation.
Dustin Bainbridge, the Founder and CEO of Unified Track
Unified Track is a technology that integrates K-12 SIS data, bringing grades, attendance, and college readiness into a single dashboard, providing clear, concise information about each student, class, or subset of students. Read more about Unified Track in Teknovation.
Brian Washington, the Founder and CEO of AluminAiry
AluminAiry is focused on creating batteries for stationary and backup power solutions. His unique chemistry generates electricity through a reaction between aluminum and oxygen from the air. Read more about AluminAiry in Teknovation.
The six Knoxville start-ups will pitch before a live audience and panel of judges in hopes of winning the Judges’ Choice Award and the Crowd Favorite Award, totaling $15,000 in cash prizes.
Emerging Entrepreneurs
Dr. Harish Manyam, Founder of Omniasis
Gustavo Alvarez-Suchini, Founder of DataRook
DataRook’s footyLab combines professional-grade sports analytics with hands-on STEM learning, making data science accessible and exciting for youth aged 10-18. Read more about DataRook in Teknovation.
Jeremiah Vecchioni, Founder of World’s Fair Furnishing Company
This Knoxville-based startup offers college students an affordable and sustainable furniture rental service by refurbishing and leasing high-quality secondhand items, eliminating the hassle and waste of buying and moving furniture each year.
Katy Daniels, the Founder of Henry BnB
The Henry BnB is a customizable farm-stay experience in East Tennessee that offers guests immersive lodging combined with hands-on agricultural homesteading and livestock activities. It’s designed to preserve Appalachian farm culture, promote sustainable tourism, and provide a meaningful escape from modern life without sacrificing any amenities.
These founders will compete for a grand prize of $3,000.
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