The Spark Incubator Program was launched in September 2020 to provide some of the East Tennessee region’s most promising hard tech startups with access to top quality laboratory space at the UT Research Park, as well as mentoring, guidance, and introductions to potential customers, partners, and investors.

We currently provide shared access to laboratory space at the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM) via a Facilities Use Agreement with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The initial Facility Use Agreements were for one year, automatically renewable for a second year. We are currently working to develop additional laboratory space so that more startup companies can be served by the Spark Incubator Program.

The labs are just over 640 square feet, and we are currently putting two companies in each laboratory. There is some limited shared office space as well which is available on a first-come, first-served use daily.

Spark clients meet together monthly to share progress and to learn of new program offerings. There is a partnership with the Center for Materials Processing to provide access to both student interns and to prototyping services at UT at discounted rates. There are also regular workshops for Spark clients on topics such as Being a CEO or Hiring One, Funding Strategies for Early-Stage Companies, Business Engagement etc.

The Spark Innovation Center is led by Lilly Tench, Carol Seamons, Bill Malkes and John Bruck

American Nanotechnologies Inc. is developing technology to isolate high-value semiconducting carbon nanotubes from raw sources which contain a mixture of metallic compounds. CEO Will Fitzhugh is participating in ORNL’s Innovation Crossroads program, is working with the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and has submitted several SBIR grant proposals.

Eonix reduces the time and cost to develop new materials for lithium batteries and ultracapacitors using a novel high throughout, semi-autonomous technique. Founder and CTO Don DeRosa has completed ORNL’s Innovation Crossroads fellowship program, and has also been awarded grants from the State of New York, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Army.

Neptune Fluid Flow Systems has developed a novel method for preparing thin films of soft material solution for cryo-TEM work, a new analytical tool of great interest to the scientific community. While they work at ORNL’s Innovation Crossroads program on material science applications, Drs. Trevor McQueen and Winnie Liang will be also working with researchers in UT’s Biology Department and at JIAM to prepare biological samples for structural characterization. Neptune has also been awarded a Department of Energy SBIR Phase I grant, a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I grant, and a RevV! grant from the State of Tennessee.

Sky Nano, LLC produces high purity carbon nanotubes from ambient CO2 for use in multiple markets. An Innovation Crossroads graduate, Dr. Anna Douglas has also won a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I grant, a $2.5 million Department of Energy award, and has her first commercial customer. She will be utilizing the SEM tools at UT’s Joint Institute for Advanced Materials as she continues to scale up her technology.

Qubit Engineering is a quantum computing company that has developed new optimization methods for micro-siting for wind turbines. The quantum powered micro-siting software will considerably improve the efficiency of wind farms and reduce the overall cost of the projects. Qubit was founded by Drs. Marouane Salhi and George Siopsis.

The Spark Innovation Center lab spaces are currently full, but we will have new spaces opening up this Fall. You can apply here.