Eight make their pitches, now await the results

Those pitching were part of the inaugural “Chancellor’s Innovation Fund” that is designed to help researchers overcome a technological challenge toward commercialization. They applied, made the cut, made their pitches, and now wait to see how many of the eight faculty researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) will receive up to $50,000 to advance their ideas to the … Read More

Five more years | Volkswagen and UTK extend partnership

The announcement continues the important partnership to develop technologies to make vehicles that are lighter, batteries that last longer, and materials that are more sustainable. At an event Thursday afternoon on campus, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and Volkswagen Group of America announced the signing of a new five-year Master Research Agreement, reinforcing a longstanding and productive innovation partnership. … Read More

ARC Announces $600,000 Grant to The Spark Innovation Center

Knoxville, Tenn.– The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced today it will award $600,000 to the Spark Innovation Center through its POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. The Spark Innovation … Read More

Congrats to Orion Therapeutics, Inc., Spark Incubator program participant, for their $100K federal grand through Launch TN!

Orion Therapeutics is delighted to share fantastic news! They’ve been awarded a $100K competitive federal grant through LaunchTN SBIR/STTR Matching Fund program for fiscal year 2024. The Grant is a game-changer for them, accelerating their innovation journey and boosting their research and business development efforts right here in East Tennessee. We’re Grateful to Launch Tennessee for recognizing the potential of … Read More

Marouane Salhi of Qubit Engineering Inc., Spark Incubator, Spark Cleantech Accelerator and Innovation Crossroads participant, is featured in teknovation.biz

Windmills and grid optimization are focus areas for Qubit Engineering Inc. Three years later, a start-up that originally drew skepticism is now a strong voice for quantum technologies within the energy space. “When we started our journey in 2018, what we were trying to accomplish was very clear to us but not to others,” says Marouane Salhi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive … Read More

Spark participant Algaeo pivots to algae-based fertilizers

Nick Sokol says he learned how challenging it was to convince people to grow algae for carbon capture. We first met Nick Sokol in mid-July 2022 when he took his start-up named Algaeo through the “Cultivate Appalachia Bootcamp” (see teknovation.biz article here). At the time, he was promoting algae growth as a way to provide an alternative form of food, energy, and carbon sequestration services. More … Read More

Spark Cleantech Accelerator Participants to Pitch at Opportunities in Energy

This year’s “Opportunities in Energy” program has a robust mix of content. Scheduled for November 15 at The Standard in Knoxville, the headliners are former Tennessee Governors Lamar Alexander and Phil Bredesen. Since I have not only attended every “Opportunities in Energy” program hosted by the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council but also participated in some way in many, one might say … Read More

Chris Sentz takes his latest start-up through the “Spark Cleantech Accelerator”

Vitruvian is focused on 3D-printing homes using concrete. While an undergraduate student at Miami University of Ohio, Chris Sentz started his first company. Two decades later, he stands at the forefront of change, and his latest venture, Vitruvian, is set to redefine the very concept of home construction. Sentz’s entrepreneurial spirit first sprouted with his early eCommerce start-up, Skinsource, dedicated to beauty product … Read More

Spark Cleantech Accelerator Graduate, Ryan Ginder, named UT Research Foundation Executive-In-Residence

UTRF introduces its first two Executives-in-Residence Bob Vanderhoff, a seasoned corporate executive, and Ryan Ginder, an academic researcher turned entrepreneur, are filling those roles. It was a little more than five months ago when The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) announced the launch of its $5 million Accelerator Fund and Venture Launch Program (see Teknovation.biz article here). Both initiatives are focused on starting, … Read More