Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From Atlanta, GA:

Georgia Bio announced that it has rebranded the organization as Georgia Life Sciences, bringing renewed focus and support to the core strengths of the business and academic organizations within Georgia’s life sciences and healthcare communities.

As the leading advocate for the state’s dynamic and diverse life sciences sector, Georgia Life Sciences promotes policy development, community programs, industry initiatives, and events, as well as the research and products of its associated member and partner organizations.

“This is a key milestone for the association. Our rapidly growing membership is a testament to the strength of our community,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Georgia Life Sciences. “We recognized that our association’s brand should reflect and amplify the essence of our organization and project the impact of our success on behalf of our members. As we determined that a refresh to our visual branding was needed, it became evident that our naming convention no longer reflected our mission in serving Georgia’s expansive and growing life sciences sector.”

Georgia Life Sciences will maintain its established leadership role as a convenor in Georgia by continuing to advocate for effective national, state, and local policies that protect and preserve innovation, attract public and private partnerships, improve educational opportunities, and promote the renowned research institutions and cutting-edge technological resources that has established the state as a viable leader in life sciences innovation.

Georgia Life Sciences supports its membership through several organizational areas of focus:

1. Policy & Advocacy: Advance life sciences innovation through policy and advocacy leadership at all levels of government. 
2. Workforce & Talent: Establish Georgia as a center for excellence in life science workforce training and talent development. 
3. Economic Development: Provides expert advice and guidance to help companies find suitable locations and resources as they move to and grow in Georgia. 
4. Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Serve as catalyst for life sciences innovation by helping entrepreneurs build successful ventures, access capital, and identify non-dilutive funding opportunities. 
5. Networking and Collaboration: Foster connection by convening thought leaders around relevant industry topics and peer-to-peer exchange.
6. Cost Savings: Curated discounts on products and services critical to running a successful business. 

From Anderson County, SC:

Bosch, the Germany-based corporation, has paused its plan to invest $200 million into its Anderson County factory to begin producing cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells for electric vehicles. The announcement came just one day after its main buyer for those fuel cells – Nikola Corporation – announced it had filed for bankruptcy.

According to a report in the Charleston Post and Courier‘s Greenville edition, Bosch’s Anderson plant was to be one of only three sites in the world where the company would produce hydrogen fuel cell stacks, which were slated to help power Class 8 commercial trucks.. The investment in that production technology was supposed to create 350 new jobs over four years.

Another from Atlanta:

The Cox Cleantech Accelerator, a partnership between Cox Enterprises, gener8tor, and the Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub, has announced its inaugural cohort of cleantech start-ups poised to transform sustainability in the Southeast. After a highly competitive selection process, the accelerator selected five companies tackling critical challenges across fleet electrification, financial compliance, industrial wastewater, and sustainable buildings.

The 2025 Cox Cleantech Accelerator class includes:

1. 4Earth builds advanced resource recovery technology for industrial and critical infrastructure applications. Utilizing materials science, innovative water treatment processes, automation, and machine learning, the technology is designed to seamlessly plug into existing factories and plants to enhance efficiency and sustainability.
2. Accelerate Wind produces affordable energy for commercial buildings with a wind turbine that integrates with solar on the edges of roofs. Accelerate’s patented spoiler design channels wind to the turbine more efficiently, harnessing more energy within a smaller footprint.
3. Flux Hybrids designs electric powertrains that transform fleet vehicles into plug-in hybrids, maximizing efficiency and flexibility. Flux systems allow fleets to operate on electric power when charging is available and transition to gas as needed, delivering increased range, enhanced performance and reduced operational costs.
4. Kara is the AI sustainability compliance platform transforming how investors and businesses manage sustainability risk. Built for asset managers, banks and companies, Kara streamlines sustainability performance, automates compliance with SFDR, CSRD, EU Taxonomy, EDCI, and SB 253 & 261, and delivers actionable insights that turn sustainability from a regulatory burden into a strategic advantage. By embedding sustainability at the core of finance, Kara empowers capital to drive both prosperity and resilience, ensuring compliance is not just a requirement but a catalyst for smarter, more sustainable growth.
5. Joulea empowers building owners with highly accurate energy assessments to optimize financial performance and reduce carbon impact. Leveraging AI, drone technology and deep expertise in building energy systems, Joulea delivers data-driven insights for greater efficiency and sustainability.

From Montgomery, AL:

The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Montgomery TechLab and Treble One, has launched the Defense Accelerator. The accelerator will conduct two cohorts during the 2025-2026 program year, focusing on five early stage companies for each cohort. Selected companies will participate in an eight-week program aimed at scaling products in artificial intelligence, mobile application development, and cybersecurity for the defense and commercial markets.

“This initiative is a transformative moment for our region, strengthening our capital region’s position as a leader in defense innovation,” said Anna Buckalew, President of the Chamber.

The accelerator is leveraging the Innovate Alabama Tax Credit Program, enabling companies and individuals to keep 50 percent of their state tax liability in the community. This includes Alabama income tax, state insurance premium tax, state public utility license tax, and the state portion of the financial institution excise tax. By redirecting these funds, the program aims to foster growth and investment in the small business defense industry.

The goal of the Defense Accelerator is for 75 percent of its participants to achieve one of the following milestones within a year of completing the program:

1. Secure a prime contract with the U.S. federal government;
2. Obtain a subcontract with a federal government prime contractor;
3. Partner with a prime contractor or original equipment manufacturer; or
4. Raise at least $100,000 in private capital funding.

From Birmingham, AL:

The City of Birmingham and Builders + Backers have announced a strategic partnership to advance innovation and entrepreneurship across the Magic City. The collaboration will immediately open applications for the Spring 2025 Idea Accelerator program, offering Birmingham residents the opportunity to transform their innovative ideas into viable enterprises.

The partnership aligns with Birmingham’s vision of developing an inclusive and resilient economy by combining the City’s focus on fostering entrepreneurship with Builders + Backers’ proven venture studio model. This initiative builds upon Birmingham’s commitment to creating quality jobs and ensuring equitable access to economic opportunities for all residents.

“This partnership with Builders + Backers represents a significant step forward in our mission to create an inclusive economy that works for all Birmingham residents,” said Cornell Wesley, Director of Innovation and Economic Opportunity for the City of Birmingham. “By providing our entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and a proven pathway to launch their ideas, we’re investing in Birmingham’s future and creating opportunities for generational wealth building in our communities.”

Selected participants in the Spring 2025 Idea Accelerator will receive up to $5,000 in non-dilutive funding and dedicated assistance from Builders + Backers’ venture studio team to test and develop their ideas. The program especially welcomes innovations that can strengthen Birmingham’s small business ecosystem and create new opportunities in our neighborhoods.

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