Launch Tennessee and Halo partner to build the Tennessee Innovation Exchange
New digital platform will connect Tennessee’s universities, researchers, and industry partners to drive innovation statewide
For immediate release
Participating Tennessee universities now have access to a new, innovative tool, the Tennessee Innovation Exchange — a unified digital platform that elevates the research strengths of the state’s universities and connects them with industry and innovation partners.
The exchange is the result of a partnership between Launch Tennessee, the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium and Halo.
Through TNIX, researchers from participating TTAC universities will have public profiles showcasing their expertise, research assets, and innovation areas. LaunchTN and TTAC institutions can also post partnering requests and funding calls to accelerate commercialization.
“TNIX represents a major step forward in Tennessee’s innovation infrastructure,” said Lindsey Cox, CEO of LaunchTN. “By giving visibility to the incredible research happening across our universities, we’re strengthening the pipeline between discovery and real-world impact.”
The six founding TTAC institutions are: University of Memphis, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, Meharry Medical College, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), and Tennessee State University (TSU).
“We’re thrilled to support LaunchTN’s vision of a connected, collaborative research ecosystem,” said Kevin Leland, CEO of Halo. “TNIX will make Tennessee one of the most accessible research networks in the country.”
“With the creation of the Tennessee Innovation Exchange, Tennessee is strengthening how industry connects with the research capabilities of our universities,” said Nathan Buttrey, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Office of Innovation, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “TNIX complements TNECD’s efforts, including the $25 million IRIS Grant Program, by helping companies identify the right academic partners and accelerating the movement of ideas from the lab to the marketplace, driving job growth statewide.”
About Launch Tennessee
The Tennessee Innovation Exchange (TNIX) is an initiative of Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), created in collaboration with the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) and powered by Halo. Supported and coordinated by LaunchTN’s statewide network, TNIX provides a unified digital platform that elevates the research strengths of Tennessee’s universities and connects them with industry and innovation partners. As part of LaunchTN’s vision of making Tennessee synonymous with high-growth startups, TNIX strengthens commercialization pathways, increases visibility for researchers, and drives collaboration that fuels economic growth across the state. Learn more at https://launchtn.org/.
About Halo
Halo is a global network and platform where companies connect and collaborate with academic experts, startups and research partners worldwide. As the technology provider powering the Tennessee Innovation Exchange (TNIX), Halo enables a statewide digital front door for Tennessee’s research ecosystem: bringing together faculty, universities, and industry partners in a single, searchable platform. With tools for profile generation, expertise search, and proposal management, Halo supports Launch Tennessee and the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) in accelerating commercialization and research-to-market success across the state. Founded in 2020, Halo’s network spans more than 150 countries and has facilitated thousands of industry–researcher connections. Its global customer base includes Bayer, BASF, Kraft Heinz, P&G, PepsiCo and many others. Learn more at halo.science