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

Spark Innovation Center Company, Holocene, Secures Frontier CDR Sale

Primary Outlet: Frontier Climate (Source Article) Contact: media@frontierclimate.com Additional Outlets: Bloomberg, CNBC Notes: this is an emerging story, and will be updated throughout the day as news emerges Today marks a significant milestone in Holocene’s journey, as we announce our first-ever carbon removal purchase agreement. Holocene is proud to have secured a purchase agreement via Frontier Climate, an advance market … Read More

Office of Technology Transitions Success Story – SPARK Cleantech Accelerator Bolsters Innovation for Tennessee Region

Energy Program Innovation Clusters Success Story   Introduction  The University of Tennessee’s (UT) SPARK Innovation Center, part of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership, supports more than 15 cleantech startups per year.  SPARK Innovation Center was first awarded a $50K award from the Office of Technology Transitions’ Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) in 2020 to launch operations (check out our conversation with their team in … Read More

UT’s Spark Cleantech Accelerator Partners with ORNL to Support Entrepreneurs

The new group of entrepreneur fellows in Innovation Crossroads, a US Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will complete the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, a 12-week program offered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Spark Innovation Center at the UT Research Park. “By combining the resources of Innovation Crossroads and the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, we are building a stronger program for … Read More