Our Blog

To increase available capital for Tennessee companies, we conducted a survey from June-August 2020 to capture information and insight for three primary groups: Investors, Founders, and Ecosystem Builders. Tennessee is one of the few states in the nation that coordinates resources on a statewide basis. LaunchTN connects investors from around the world to our Network…

It’s likely your feeds have been filled with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups facing the dismaying effects of COVID-19. In February 2020, LaunchTN partnered with ItsBundled, a Tennessee-based startup founded by Courtney Jones, to expand the Bundled Initiative that connects startups to immediate resources that can help them accomplish their next milestone. The Appalachian Regional Commission funded the…

State initiatives take Tennessee to №8 nationwide for the National Institutes of Health SBIR/STTR application success rate. Why is our state performing so well? For PreTel Health, the fourth time was a charm. After submitting three applications to the National Institutes of Health for Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer awards, the company sought…

Get to know the startups and entrepreneurs changing the Tennessee landscape — designing innovative solutions, creating jobs, and building communities. This week, meet GoCheck Kids, an app that detects risks of vision impairments. Give us your elevator pitch. GoCheck Kids is a pediatric iPhone-based app that detects risks of vision impairments, the №1 disabling condition in…

As we prepare for next week’s kickoff of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week on the Hill, we revisit our Startup Policy Workshops series. Our Cookeville session explored guidance for relationship-building with policymakers, the intersection of “town and gown,” and how favorable policy impacts universities. Our Legislative Reception to kick off Week on the Hill takes place Feb….

Get to know the startups and entrepreneurs changing the Tennessee landscape — designing innovative solutions, creating jobs, and building communities. This week, meet Paris couple Nancy and Gary Morris, med-device founders and Elvis fans. Nancy and Gary Morris at the June 2019 opening of the FOOTBAR Walker storefront in Paris, TN Give us your elevator…

Get to know the startups and entrepreneurs changing the Tennessee landscape — designing innovative solutions, creating jobs, and building communities. This week, meet CPRWrap CEO Felicia Jackson: “We want to empower people to do the most basic, unselfish thing a human can do: Save a life.” Give us your elevator pitch. Did you know that…

Get to know the companies and entrepreneurs changing the Tennessee landscape — designing innovative solutions, creating jobs, and building communities. This week, we chatted with SOMAVAC CEO Esra Roan. Give us your elevator pitch. SOMAVAC creates solutions that improve the post-op recovery experience and reduce healthcare costs. SOMAVAC’s flagship system, SOMAVAC® 100, is a powered,…

As Tennesseans #TitanUp with the team’s riveting playoff run, we take a look at the success of Derrick Henry as a business tale: how to devise a strategy that reacts to changes in cyclical markets — and utilizes an uncommon asset in a 250-pound bruiser to capture the attention of the nation. As we enter…