The startup scene in United States

The University of Tennessee’s entrepreneurship office supports students, faculty, staff, and community members in moving research and technologies toward market. Knoxville ecosystem community members are also eligible for UT’s regional I-Corps program, alongside UT System and Mid-South Hub affiliates.

Regional research commercialization resources include Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Innovation Crossroads, a two-year program for nationally recruited energy and advanced-manufacturing founders based in Oak Ridge. ORNL reports that the program has supported over 51 startups since 2017, with more than half remaining in the region; its companies have reported over $100 million in sales and $326.8 million in follow-on funding.

UT’s AI TechX Startup Connect is described as a no-cost resource for qualifying Tennessee-based AI companies with fewer than 20 full-time employees that can host student projects or internships and are tax compliant. UT’s Chancellor’s Innovation Fund is limited to UT Knoxville faculty and researchers.

Other reported ecosystem examples include Orion, for which UTRF secured foundational patents, provided licensing guidance, and made the inaugural investment from its Accelerate Fund. UTHSC reported that Orion received $275,000 in NSF Phase I and $1.25 million in Phase II STTR awards, with UT as academic partner. Separately, Three Roots Capital reported on May 8, 2025, that Memphis-origin Blank Beauty raised a $6 million Series A and was establishing headquarters and production in downtown Knoxville.

As of October 4, 2026, DOE listed its 2027 Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program call as open, with an October 30, 2026 deadline and an Innovation Crossroads node at ORNL in Oak Ridge; node-specific eligibility should be checked. KEC listed open enrollment for a Knoxville Starting Your Business 101 cohort running October 22 through November 19, 2026, at a $150 fee for new or novice business owners. These dated listings do not establish current availability.

Market Square Ventures describes itself as a Knoxville-based early-stage investor serving Tennessee, the Southeast, and Appalachia, with a public pitch-submission route.