That place is East Tennessee. Spark is the entry point. Applications for the 2026 cohort are open through May 27th, with the 12-week program beginning August 24th.
Founders from across the United States may apply. Founders must reside in Knoxville for the entirety of the program. Founders who intend to build their companies in East Tennessee are strongly encouraged to apply. The program is provided without any equity or financial obligation.
One company shows how this works: Lance Adler came to Knoxville, earned a place at Spark, and stayed. He closed his Series A and built the design and deployment partnerships that anchored his company in Energy Valley. He is now an Innovation Crossroads fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is building Witching Hour, a company developing robotic systems that coat power lines with advanced materials that prevent wildfire-causing electrical faults.
“I came to Knoxville for a 12-week accelerator. Now I am an Innovation Crossroads fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” Adler said. “Spark gave me the structure to turn a working prototype into a fundable company. It forced discipline around unit economics, customer discovery, and pilot design. KUB allowed me to test my materials on its active distribution network. That kind of access is hard to find elsewhere.”
That access defines Spark’s role.
The accelerator serves founders building hardware, advanced materials, and energy systems that depend on national laboratories, utility partnerships, and manufacturing pathways. The University of Tennessee provides the research infrastructure that anchors this work, including the Center for Transportation Research, the Institute for Future Mobility, and nationally ranked programs in nuclear engineering and supply chain management. The region’s tier-three and tier-four suppliers across the energy supply chain form the qualification and deployment backbone that moves companies from prototype to production.
Energy Valley has attracted more than $10 billion in advanced nuclear investment in the last three years. Orano, Oklo, Radiant, Kairos Power, TRISO-X, and Ultra Safe Nuclear are expanding or establishing operations on transferred DOE land, with more than 2,500 jobs announced. Every company cites the same advantages: workforce, nuclear heritage, regulatory certainty, TVA, and proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These investments establish the region as a primary site for U.S. nuclear manufacturing and deployment.
“The next decade of American energy will be built in Energy Valley,” said Bill Malkes, Executive Director of the Spark Innovation Center. “We are at the University of Tennessee Research Park for a reason. Founders here can access Oak Ridge National Laboratory, test on TVA’s grid, and manufacture at scale. That is the bet we are making.”
Applications and additional information are available at
Questions may be directed to spark@tnresearchpark.org.
About the Spark Innovation Center
Spark is the University of Tennessee Research Park’s platform for advancing energy and infrastructure companies inside the Energy Valley. The organization works with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the region’s energy and manufacturing base to move early technologies toward qualification and deployment. Spark alumni have progressed into national laboratory programs, utility pilots, and regional production. For more information, visit tnresearchpark.org/spark.