UT Funders for UT Founders | Capital access for University of Tennessee alums just got a little easier
UT Ventures, the university system's first angel network, has grown to 20 members and is now accepting startups and investors alike.
For founders associated with the University of Tennessee System, capital conversations and connections just became a lot easier, thanks to a newly launched angel network.
Currently containing about 20 angels, the network exists as a connection point between UT funders and UT founders.
In early 2023, Maha Krishnamurthy was named President of the UT Research Foundation (UTRF). Reaching that appointment, however, was no easy feat. As president, Krishnamurthy leads one of the largest research foundations in the state and oversees three wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as the foundation’s broader strategic and programmatic initiatives in support of the University’s research mission. The role also carries responsibility for the foundation’s overall financial leadership and for translating UT’s innovation and discovery into products and services that advance the public good.
“I had a coffee meeting with Tom Ballard, and he challenged me to think big,” Krishnamurthy recalled. “The problem I saw most as the President of the Tech Transfer Office was that UT forms great startups, but they struggle to get money. So, I pitched the idea of an alumni venture group to UT President Randy Boyd, and he was all for it.”
After receiving a thumbs up, Krishnamurthy and her team had to go make it happen. They began benchmarking aspirational peers, exploring funding structures, and reaching out to a passionate alumni network. They also hired Robyn Geron to lead UT Ventures as its inaugural Director.
“I’m really fortunate to have a very supportive leadership like Dr. Deb Crawford, Chancellor Donde Plowman, and President Randy Boyd. I’m also thankful to have a very supportive UTRF board, but most importantly, I’m really fortunate for the founding eight members who signed up in January 2026,” Krishnamurthy said.
The founding angels
With any new idea, particularly when it involves building a collaborative network, getting the first few “yeses” is the most difficult part. Finding the founding members happened over a series of coffee conversations, dinners, and connections.
“We started with eight in January, and today, I am proud to share that we are at 20,” Krishnamurthy said. “The only major qualifications are that you have to be passionate about founders and passionate about the university, which typically means you’re an alum.”
One of those founding members is Marty Brown, the CEO of PYA, board member for the UT Research Foundation, and a long-time donor to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
“I wanted to become a founding member because it is a fascinating way to give back to the university, and also get involved in investment decisions, while simultaneously creating opportunities for startups,” Brown said.
It’s the first angel network that Brown has been a part of; however, it’s not his first rodeo as a funder. In addition to UT Ventures, he is one of the five founding general partners for Market Square Ventures (MSV).
“It’s an angel network, not a venture fund. So, members pay a small annual fee to be involved with the network, we bring them companies, and they get to decide if they would like to invest individually,” Krishnamurthy said.
Brown said the structure of UT Ventures was a big selling point for getting involved.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to make an investment, share the risk, and do so in a way that’s not terribly burdensome,” he said.
Searching for investable UT companies
Everywhere you look, there are University of Tennessee alums. Given that the largest UT campus is in Knoxville, many founders are graduates from the flagship campus. But, UT Ventures is a system-wide endeavor, which also includes the UT Health Science Center, UT Chattanooga, UT Southern, and UT Martin.
To receive investment, the major qualification is that someone on the founding team must have educational ties to UT, but they can build their business anywhere in the United States. Investments have no geographic or sector focus.
“This is actually one of the first types of venture angel investment groups within the university in the Southeastern Conference, and maybe the first that allows for investors to invest outside of the state of Tennessee,” Brown said.
The investors in the angel network are also intentionally industry agnostic about selecting companies to invest in.
“We train our students to be in every field; whether it be nuclear, human health, animal health, plant health, you name it,” Krishnamurthy said. “These students go on and form companies, it can be deep-tech, ag-tech, retail, health, who knows, there are no limits to what our alumni can do.”
However, most of the companies that the UT Ventures angel network looks at will be at the Seed to Series A stage, especially while the network is still in startup mode.
UT funders for UT Founders
The mission for UTRF is to support UT research, transfer technology from the university labs to the marketplace, grow an entrepreneurial culture across all campuses, and contribute to economic development.
“UT Ventures fits perfectly within that mission,” Krishnamurthy said.
UT Ventures is now open for business, accepting both new investor members and applications for investment. They are eager to expand the angel network and are also seeking to make their first investment.
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