Spark Innovation Center at the UT Research Park

Congratulations to the 2024 Spark Cleantech Accelerator Cohort! ?? What an incredible journey it has been! Over the past 12 weeks, we've been inspired by your dedication, passion, and drive to elevate your startups to new heights. Each of you should be proud of the tremendous effort you've put into this program. From tours of Norris Dam to insightful Financial Model programming, we’ve witnessed the Cleantech entrepreneur community grow stronger together. It’s been an honor to support and get to know such innovative and driven founders. A heartfelt thank you to our programming partners for their invaluable contributions to the Spark Innovation Center. Your support makes this work possible, and we couldn’t do it without you. - Here’s to the continued success of each founder and the future of Cleantech innovation! Innovation Crossroads UT Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm Piper Communications Tennessee Valley Authority City of Knoxville Knoxville Chamber (Knoxville, Tennessee) Knoxville Entrepreneur Center Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council LaunchTN Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Tennessee UT Center for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing (CAMM) University of Tennessee Research Foundation - UTRF University of Tennessee Research DOE Office of Technology Transitions Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

We approach the end of our Journey. This will be the last Spark Cleantech Accelerator Weekly Rewind??It has been our pleasure to have you all along for the ride! Let's take a reflection to what we've done this week. - Day 1 - Chris McAdoo, Chief Experience Officer at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, shared his expertise on creating a brand. His enthusiastic and positive energy helped explore corporate branding strategies for efficacy and consistent messaging. Day 2 - John Belanger, CFA, startup founder and lawyer, gave his very experienced testimony on navigating productive Company Negotiations. Day 3 - Lilly Tench, Director of the Spark Innovation Center, hosted one final group pitch practice. One final 'hurrah' before the cohort's big day! - Come see our Companies Pitches on Tuesday, November 19th, at the?Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council's 2024 Opportunities in Energy Day. It's been our pleasure! - Sign up here >> https://lnkd.in/e8qczScz

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator is in the home stretch, wrapping up Week 11 with only two weeks to go until Demo Day! This week’s sessions emphasized financial literacy, investor relations, and pitch refinement. Here's your Week 11 CTA Rewind ? - Day 1 - Carol Seamons, a finance expert and Spark’s own Entrepreneur-in-Residence, led a hands-on workshop where founders fine-tuned their financial models. The session focused on integrating essential elements from the financial model template and creating clear, concise visual summaries to effectively convey financials. Day 2 - Seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor John Bruck from Market Square Ventures led an in-depth exploration of What Investors Look For, guiding founders through the nuances of equity and investment terms. Sharing his perspectives on what they look for during due diligence, providing founders with invaluable insights into investor expectations. Day 3 - Founders spent the day in breakout sessions with investors, receiving direct feedback on their pitches. This Investor Feedback Day allowed each founder to practice their pitch and receive tailored guidance on how to make their message resonate in the room. - Each week brings these founders closer to launching innovative solutions that address global challenges. As they prepare to step onto the Demo Day stage, their stories and solutions are shaping up to make a lasting impact.

How can strategic partnerships influence the start-up scene in Knoxville? Lance Adler, the Founder of Witching Hour is a great example - He moved to East Tennessee for the Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator and opted to stay in town due to a special partner...? Plus, he's a participant in the Spark Innovation Center at the UT Research Park Cleantech Accelerator! https://lnkd.in/e8Cchn8n

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator just wrapped up Week 10, with only three more to go! This Halloween week was packed with 4 days of programming, featuring new insights from financials to valuation. Here’s your spooky Week 10 CTA Rewind???? - Day 1 -?Carol Seamons, Financial Expert and Spark EIR, hosted 1:1 financial modeling sessions for the cohort.?Vinit Chaudhary?was on the soap box this week! Day 2 - Serial entrepreneur and Spark EIR?William Malkes Sr?finished the MVP module, helping startups define their minimum viable product and pathway to commercialization Day 3 - Serial entrepreneur and investor?John Bruck?stepped in to present a financial workshop on Valuation, and provide important insight into the art and science of valuation. Day 4 - With Demo day just around the corner,?Martha Weeks, held individual pitching coach sessions for all CTA participants. Weeks is a veteran communications professional and lecturer at the?Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. - Creeeeeping closer to Demo Day! They say "public speaking" is the most common fear in America??? but our startup founders aren't scared!

Happy to see another company choosing East Tennessee ?? ?? ??

Congratulations to Vinit Chaudhary on bringing Aligned Composites Technology to market! It's been a pleasure working with you in the Spark Cleantech Accelerator 2024 Cohort ?

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator 9th Week has ended, and there are only 4 to go! This week had 4 days of programming, with special guest speakers from a few new faces and some familiar ones. Here's this week's CTA Rewind?? - Day 1 - Spark welcomed a virtual presentation from?Vanderbilt University's?David O.?on the Strategies for Scaling from MVP to Commercialization—inquisitive insight from a fellow entrepreneur. Day 2 -?Shawn Carson?from the?Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee?returned to share ideas on MVP Market Fit & Competitive Analysis.?William Malkes Sr, serial entrepreneur, and Spark EIR, as co-presenter. Day 3 -?Hyder Shuja, Senior Manager at LACI Debt Fund, held a workshop on funding-dilutive and non-dilutive opportunities for startups. Day 4 -?William Malkes Sr?returned on Thursday to dig into the specifics of Testing Products & Integrating User Feedback in the iterative process of MVP. - We're moving into Week 10 and approaching the final Demo Day! Looking forward to MVP finalization, more Financial Workshops and a Rocky Horror Picture Show ?? visit to the Tennessee Theatre!

We’re proud to support the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council's annual Opportunities in Energy event on November 19 in Knoxville, TN. ??? The event will include: ?? CEO Panel featuring Jeff Lyash, CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority? ?? 2024 Tennessee Advanced Energy Economic Impact Report findings ? Spark Cleantech Accelerator and Innovation Crossroads Demo Day? ?? Beyond Solar panel discussion ?? Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Award? ?? Fusion Energy panel, featuring insights from ORNL and Type One Energy ?? TEAM TN panel ?? A look ahead into TVA’s innovation forecast offering insights into TVA’s future technology gaps and trends over the next decade ?? Cleantech Venture Capital Insights + Opportunities Panel Be sure to join us for a networking happy hour at the end of the event!? I hope to see you there! Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/e8qczScz?

8 Weeks Down, 5 to Go: The Spark Cleantech Accelerator Marches On! This week's feature? A behind-the-scenes look at Tennessee Valley Authority’s historic Norris Dam—one of TVA’s original feats of engineering. Here's the Week 8 Rewind ? - Day 1 - TVA’s Legacy and Vision for Clean Energy Innovation The week began with an exclusive tour of TVA's first-ever dam, Norris Dam, led by Miles Biggs and James Linder from TVA. This landmark, constructed in the 1930s, exemplifies TVA’s enduring commitment to public service and sustainable infrastructure. Day 2 - Diving into Financials and Real-World Modeling Carol Seamons, Spark EIR and financial expert, led an intensive session on core financial statements and foundational assumptions, providing participants with essential insights for their business models. Later, Brian Iezzi, Founder of Fibarcode, shared his financial model for feedback and discussion, creating an invaluable learning moment for the entire cohort. The day wrapped up with personalized 1:1 meetings with EIRs, offering tailored guidance to each venture. Day 3 - Prototyping and the Path to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) On the final day of programming, William Malkes Sr., Spark EIR, led a module focused on effective prototyping strategies, exploring actionable steps to bring MVPs from concept to reality. - Every week seems to get faster and faster, but we’re having a good “Dam” time! Week 9 is up next, featuring insights from the LACI Debt Fund. Stay tuned for more!