Launch Tennessee has announced the 10 companies chosen to participate in The TENN — the state’s first master accelerator program. After hearing 20 pitches at the first-ever statewide demo day yesterday, a panel of out-of-state investors chose the companies.
The TENN is comprised of:
East Tennessee – HATponics, Survature, Vendor Registry
Middle Tennessee – eClinic Healthcare, Got You In, Gun.io
West Tennessee – Health & Bliss, Mobilizer, Screwpulp, View Medical
The TENN Roadshow will take place Sept. 9 – 13, where the companies will meet with executives at some of the state’s top corporations. At each corporate visit, The TENN will present short elevator pitches, receive feedback from the executives and have time to network. They will also visit several regional accelerators to pitch, get feedback and meet more investors and business leaders.
The roadshow schedule includes visits to Eastman Chemical in Kingsport, Scripps Networks Interactive in Knoxville, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in Chattanooga, the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in Nashville and First Tennessee and FedEx in Memphis.
“The Tennessee Roadshow is a unique opportunity for these startups to get advice from top executives at some of the state’s leading corporations,” said Charlie Brock, CEO of LaunchTN. “These meetings are a great step toward increasing corporate engagement with startups in Tennessee. We are thrilled to give The TENN this opportunity to network with and learn from such seasoned business leaders.
Later during the master accelerator program, the members of The TENN will fly to California and the East Coast to network with entrepreneurs, investors and media. Other benefits of The TENN program include access to 40 master mentors from across Tennessee, including investors, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders; office space in the nearest regional accelerator or a subsidy for the company’s existing office space; and events that introduce the companies to high-level, industry-specific Tennessee connections.
Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) is a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in the state of Tennessee with the ultimate goal of fostering job creation and economic growth. LaunchTN focuses on four key areas: entrepreneurship, commercialization, capital, and outreach. LaunchTN is in part funded by a grant from the State of Tennessee. Please friend LaunchTN on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/LaunchTN), Twitter (www.Twitter.com/LaunchTN), YouTube (www.YouTube.com/LaunchTN) and Flickr (www.Flickr.com/LaunchTN).