Innovate Alabama

Here at Innovate Alabama, we are driving innovation by ensuring Alabama innovators have access to the resources they need. We covered a lot of ground in 2023, infusing nearly $50 million into the Alabama innovation ecosystem to small businesses, economic development organizations and accelerators. Want a sneak peek into what's coming in 2024? Watch here.

The #InnovateAlabama Network interest form is now open! This program fosters innovation throughout the state by providing grants and valuable partnerships to mission-aligned communities, entities, educational institutions and outdoor recreation organizations. If your organization contributes to a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, submit the interest form to check your eligibility. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eW45KHMU

Congratulations to #InnovateAlabama Executive Director of Outdoor Recreation Programs, T.C. McLemore, on receiving the SoulGrown Soul of the South award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. T.C. has devoted his career to helping Alabama put our best foot forward, and we could not be prouder to see his dedication recognized. Learn more about all the honorees:?https://lnkd.in/eCxV-jgT.

Alabama is showing the world we mean business! #InnovateAlabama is proud to see 46 Alabama-based companies making their mark on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, which celebrates the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. These companies have demonstrated impressive advancement, with a median growth rate of 197%, collectively adding more than 8,000 new jobs to our state's economy. Fourteen Alabama cities are represented on the list,?spanning diverse sectors including IT services, healthcare, real estate and manufacturing. Congratulations to all the innovators driving Alabama’s growth! Learn more:?https://lnkd.in/g6Yn3rnH

Access to capital is a game changer for entrepreneurs. Next Thursday, Oct. 3rd, The Capital Collective will officially launch, offering Alabama businesses the tools and resources they need to secure funding and to scale. Innovate Alabama is glad to see initiatives like this that empower entrepreneurs and create pathways to success.

Meet Elizabeth Lipke & Yuan Tian, the duo behind VivoSphere, a recent #InnovateAlabama Supplemental Grant recipient. Founded in Auburn, VivoSphere is a biotech company that provides scalable 3D tissue models for safer and more efficient drug discovery and cancer research. We are proud to support this game-changing technology, made right here in Alabama. Learn more:?https://vivospheres.com/

We are counting down the days until the next edition of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama's Coffee and Collisions series on Alabama's State Small Business Credit Initiative?(SSBCI) programs. #InnovateAlabama SSBCI Executive Director Charlie Pond will be at the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce talking all things LendAL and InvestAL next Tuesday, Oct. 1. RSVP here:?https://lnkd.in/epCcj-H9

On Day 3 of the Fast Company Innovation Festival, Alabama-based Storyteller Overland CEO Jeffrey Hunter took the stage to showcase Alabama's hidden gem: its stunning outdoor recreation. With the outdoor market booming at $800+ billion, Alabama's unique biodiversity and natural beauty are primed for discovery. Through Innovate Alabama's #SEEKAL campaign, Storyteller Overland is helping showcase the state's outdoor wonders, bringing its adventure lifestyle to new audiences. And the SEEK van made its debut in NYC, sharing what Alabama has to offer with people from across the world. Alabama is proving you can have it all: innovation, business growth, and endless outdoor adventures. See why more entrepreneurs are choosing Alabama as their home for innovation and adventure: https://lnkd.in/eX4imz2H ?#SEEKAL #InnovateAlabama #StorytellerOverland

Our state continues to make waves at the 2024 Fast Company Innovation Festival, with Alabama-based Acclinate proudly recognized as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. Co-founded by Tiffany Whitlow and Del Smith, PhD, Acclinate breaks down barriers, connecting pharmaceutical companies with communities of color to ensure clinical trials reflect the diversity they need to serve all populations. With the support of Innovate Alabama, Acclinate is proving that Alabama is a place where purpose-driven innovation not only happens—it thrives. Learn more about how Acclinate is driving meaningful change in Alabama's innovation ecosystem here: https://lnkd.in/eMHVbZ7T

Innovate?Alabama?is taking center stage at the 2024 Fast Company Innovation Festival! This week,?we’re?showcasing the state's impressive strengths in innovation?at the conference?in New York City. It's an opportunity for startup founders, investors?and business leaders from?around?the?world?to discover why Alabama is a?hotspot?for innovation and entrepreneurship. Alabama innovators?Britney Summerville (Innovate Alabama board member), Shegun Otulana (Harmony Venture Labs?founder)?and Tamar Blue (MentalHappy?founder)?are?on the ground,?sharing their?personal?journeys and insights on what makes?our state?stand out in the innovation landscape. Curious about why more founders are choosing to put down roots in Alabama? Learn more about?our?innovation ecosystem and the opportunities it presents:?https://lnkd.in/eYEPpQ8w.