Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Investors across the state say education, diversification, and visible wins could unlock a new wave of startup capital.

“Our VC Fast Pitch is a great opportunity to network with investors – and for investors to discover what is happening in Nashville,” said the founder, Scott Kelly.

BeLocal Knoxville is a new magazine franchise owned by Tiffany Davis. The goal is to connect Knoxville’s newest residents with trusted local businesses, services, and experiences.

Two recent announcements, one from Governor Bill Lee and the other from EPB, will add a combined $24 million to the state’s quantum computing efforts.

More than a dozen Knoxville-based technology companies and 150 registrants gathered for a showcase at Bridgewater Place.

In Governor Bill Lee's final State of the State Address for Tennessee, he put a spotlight on nuclear, rural innovation, and computing technologies like quantum and artificial intelligence.

"When you look across the ecosystem. I think the Lighthouse is probably one of the most grassroots organizations. I think we're a little bit punk rock, and our own little self-sustaining community," the founder, Zap, said.

The partnership will zero in on building and testing “breeding blankets,” which are systems inside a fusion power plant that create tritium, a key fuel for fusion reactors.