As Early Bird tickets go on sale for this year’s 3686 Festival, we are taking a look back at the last 10 years. 

And be on the lookout for a call for 3686 memories in coming months, when we will put out a call for attendees favorite memories of the annual festival.

Timeline — a look back

2012: Working with ECD, rebranding 

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development joined the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation to reimagine the organization as a public-private partnership, under the LaunchTN brand. 

2012: Statewide network of connections 

Entrepreneur centers statewide establish larger network for entrepreneurs

2013: Seed capital 

Facilitated over $16 million in seed-capital investment to the accelerated startups

2013: Investment  

Invested over $12 million in capital to high-growth Tennessee companies through the INCITE Co-Investment Fund

2013: Southland 

Hosted annual conference, called Southland, which drew about 600 attendees 

2014: Summer Internship Program 

LaunchTN launches internship program (to date nearly 400 students have done paid internships through the LaunchTN program)

2015: Commercialization 

Implemented SBIR and STTR support programs for early-stage companies; hosted the national SBIR road tour and introduced over 100 Tennessee researchers 

2015: More investment  

Invested $3.4 million in capital to high-growth Tennessee companies through the INCITE Co-Investment Fund and leveraged an additional $18 million in private capital

2015: 3686

Rebranded annual innovation conference 36|86 (formerly Southland); increased attendance from 700 to 900 while bringing in 86 different investment firms from around the country

2016: New focus 

Branding reflects LaunchTN effort to make Tennessee the top state in the Southeast for entrepreneurs 

2017: More investment 

Invested nearly $5 million in capital to high-growth Tennessee companies through the INCITE Co-Investment Fund and leveraged an additional $12.5 million in private capital 

2017: Angel Tax Credit  

Developed the Angel Tax Credit that was passed by the General Assembly and was used to encourage more angel investment in the state’s early stage, high-growth companies

2017: New fund  

Established the Impact Fund with proceeds from the INCITE Fund

2017: More commercialization 

Hosted the national SBIR road tour and introduced over 100 Tennessee researchers and entrepreneurs to the various federal agencies providing grant funding

2018: 3686

1,200 attendees at our recent 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival, drawing from 33 states and including nearly 200 investors 

2018: Angel Tax Credit 

Issued $1.9 million in tax credits through Angel Tax Credit fund

2018: All capital deployed  

To date, all $28.8M from the INCITE fund has been invested for an impact of $1.25 billion 

2018: Commercialization 

SBIR/STTR Matching Fund established 

2019: Angel Tax Credit 

Angel Tax credit — 3.28 million dollars leveraged +$1 million credits approved + pending

2019: SBIR

 $1.5 million SBIR funds awarded; $4.8 million in SBIR funds matched 

2019: 3686

More than 1,200 founders, investors, and ecosystem builders came together in Nashville for LaunchTN seventh-annual 3686 Entrepreneurship Festival

2020: More investment 

$1.4 million was deployed to 11 companies through the Impact Fund

2020: Angel Tax Credit 

$8.6 million invested with Angel Tax Credit

2020: Commercialization 

SBIR/STTR Matching Fund: FY20, the Fund awarded $3 million to 28 companies, leveraging almost $11 million in federal dollars

2021: SBIR 

$7 million in SBIR Matching Funds to 44 companies since FY20

2021: Angel Tax Credit

$10.2 Million in Angel Tax Credit investments were made across 33 companies

2022: SBIR

$7 million in SBIR funds deployed (67.5% to diverse founders) 

2022: More investment

$1.6 million in investments from Impact Fund