Spark Cleantech Accelerator Cohort 2025 Selected

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (July 16, 2025) – The Spark Cleantech Accelerator at the University of Tennessee Research Park is excited to announce the participants of their fourth annual accelerator program. The program received a record number of applications for this year’s cohort and have selected ix incredible startups from across the United States. The cohort is made up of startups developing innovative technologies in clean energy, water treatment, additive manufacturing, and green building.

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator will kick off on Aug. 25, 2024, and will culminate in a Demo Day on Nov. 19, 2025 as part of “Opportunities in Energy” hosted by the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council. The 12-week accelerator will provide mentorship, connections, stipends, prototyping support, and business acceleration services to help early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs commercialize new innovations.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome this year’s cohort to the Spark Cleantech Accelerator,” said Lilly Tench, Executive Director of the Spark Innovation Center. “These six startups represent the cutting edge of innovation in clean energy and sustainable technologies, and their work directly aligns with our mission to drive economic growth and environmental impact here in East Tennessee and beyond.” 

Lilly Tench, Director of The Spark Innovation Center

Spark Cleantech Accelerator 2025 Cohort

Sasi Viriyayuthakorn | EcoSnap | Centennial, CO
EcoSnap is revolutionizing home comfort with its ductless mini-split heat pumps, cutting installation time and costs. Licensed from NREL, its technology makes energy-efficient HVAC accessible to homeowners. 

Caddis Technology | Kendall Byrd | Columbus, OH 
Caddis deploys advanced aquatic drones to monitor and treat freshwater bodies, offering a non-chemical, battery-powered solution for cleaner water and public health protection.  cost savings while safeguarding and enhancing public health. 

NXT MFG | Eric Heikkenen | Knoxville, TN 
NXT MFG simplifies large-scale metal 3D printing with intuitive, AI powered software, making industrial-grade additive manufacturing practical and accessible for aerospace, defense, and beyond.

Kupros Technology | Ian Ramsdell | Loogootee, IN 
Kupros pioneers all-metal conductive filament (Cu29) for 3D printing, enabling embedded circuits and sensors in polymer parts—no wires, silver inks, or expensive machines required.  

ORB Technologies | Ginger Watkins | Lexington, KY
ORB Technologies replaces traditional construction materials with bio-composite blocks, creating carbon-storing, super-insulated walls in one step—faster, cheaper, and toxin-free.   

OTTO Prefab | Maged Guerguis | Knoxville, TN 
OTTO Prefab’s robotically fabricated, 3D-printed wall panels combine structure, insulation, and airtightness, accelerating energy-efficient home construction for ADUs and single-family housing.

The Spark team’s curriculum will focus on four core pillars: The Business Model, Product Development, Financial Model, and Pitch, with opportunities for additional learning, networking, and introductions to local resources. The curriculum will be led by Lilly Tench and the Spark Experts in Residence (EIR) team, Carol Seamons, Bill Malkes, Michael Paley, and Tim Rinks with support and mentorship provided by the Innovation Crossroad’s EIR team, Angelique Adams, John Derrick, and Gary Rawlings as well as the Energy Network coordinated by the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, and other local partners such as the UT Haslam College of Business, the UT Center for Materials Processing, TVA, and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center.

The Spark Innovation Center was founded in 2020 and is headquartered at the UT Research Park. Between the Spark Cleantech Accelerator and Spark Incubator, Spark has supported 40 companies that have collectively raised $137.6 million, hired 192 full-time employees, and supported 52 interns. 77% of companies served still have an active presence in East Tennessee. The Spark Innovation Center is supported by the University of Tennessee, the City of Knoxville, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Appalachian Regional Commission, Launch Tennessee, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Truist Foundation, and works in close partnership with the region’s Innov865 Alliance and the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership.

About Spark Innovation Center 

The Spark Innovation Center is an initiative of the University of Tennessee Research Park that leverages the unique science and technology resources of the region to help high-tech, high-impact startups grow, succeed, and stay in East Tennessee. Spark offers promising energy technology companies access to top-quality lab space, expert mentoring, and coordinating support services from partner organizations in the region.  
 
The Spark Innovation Center is supported by the University of Tennessee, the City of Knoxville, the Department of Energy, the Appalachian Regional Commission, Launch Tennessee, TVA, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Truist Foundation, and works in close partnership with the region’s Innov865 Alliance, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Innovation Crossroads, program and the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership. For more information, visit tnresearchpark.org/spark 

About the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm  

The University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm is the gateway for collaboration between UT’s flagship university and external partners. The park has a total of 365,000 square feet of developed space supporting 20 tenants employing 800 employees and focuses on three major research themes: advanced materials and manufacturing, biomedical innovation, and data-intensive applications. For more information, visit tnresearchpark.org.