Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator is now accepting applications for its 12-week business acceleration program which will launch on August 25, 2025. Applications will be accepted until midnight on May 16. Based at the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Park, the accelerator is designed to assist early stage cleantech innovators with commercializing technologies that will benefit the environment and provide economic value to East Tennessee and the cleantech industry.

Participants of the 12-week accelerator will receive:

1. $15,000 stipends to help defray travel/living costs and to support business and technical milestones.
2. Access to prototyping services through the University of Tennessee’s Center for Materials Processing.
3. Opportunities to connect with key partners such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), UT, Knoxville, City of Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and members of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC).
4. Mentoring and one-on-one support from subject matter experts in business, market analysis and positioning, intellectual property/patent strategy, product design, engineering, prototyping, testing, material selection, and manufacturing.
5. Connections with customers, investors, strategic partners, suppliers, universities, and national laboratories.
6. Training workshops and one-on-one support.

The program welcomes applications from entrepreneurs developing technologies in the following categories: Renewable Energy Generation, Energy Storage and Integration, Energy Efficiency, Advanced Nuclear Solutions, Carbon Capture, Alternative Fuels, Grid Reliability, Resiliency and Stability, Future Mobility, Circular Economy, Sustainable Agriculture, and Advanced Manufacturing and Built Environment.

Early stage cleantech entrepreneurs from anywhere in the U.S. are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants must be willing to relocate to Knoxville, TN for the duration of the 12-week program, and will need to demonstrate an interest in continuing to engage in the area after the program.  Companies that demonstrate their technology can support the challenges and needs of Spark partners, including UT, TVA, ORNL, and TAEBC, are of particular interest.

“The Spark Innovation Center is committed to helping start-ups leverage the robust energy and materials assets of the region to contribute to East Tennessee’s continued economic growth,” said Lilly Tench, Executive Director of the Spark Innovation Center. “Since launching in 2020, Spark has supported 40 start-ups that have collectively raised over $108 million and created 170 jobs. We can’t wait to see what exciting new companies we’ll have the opportunity to work with this year.”

The program is free to entrepreneurs, with no monetary or equity exchange required. Interested companies can apply and find more information at this link or send an email to sparkcta@tnresearchpark.org with questions.

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