Gov. Lee will offer remarks as innovative companies compete for $50K grand prize
NASHVILLE – Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), a public-private partnership that fosters entrepreneurship across the state, today announced the finalists for the LaunchTN Pitch Competition, held in Nashville at Ole Red on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m. as part of 36|86 Entrepreneurship Festival. Cookeville startup DOTReady, the brainchild of Cookeville entrepreneur Tyna Bryan, was chosen as one of the nine finalists.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will offer remarks during the event about the state of entrepreneurship and the opportunities for Tennesseans as a result of new companies and technologies entering the market.
The pitch competition allows LaunchTN’s partners, including regional entrepreneur centers and industry-specific organizations, to showcase companies that have benefitted from their support and resources and are making an impact in Tennessee’s innovation economy.
See related story: Local entrepreneur aims to simplify DOT compliance
Selected companies drawn from LaunchTN’s nine network partners will pitch before a panel of judges for the opportunity to win $50,000. Competitors will also vie for a $10,000 crowd favorite award. Voting is now open for the crowd favorite competition.
Here are this year’s LaunchTN Pitch Competition companies:
- C4 Solutions (Jackson, theCO) is working to create a virtual reality simulated platform to help companies educate and train employees for a specific skill set in a safe, controlled, and repetitive environment.
- CPRWrap Inc. (Chattanooga, CO.LAB) is an easy-to-use first aid tool with a translucent overlay that guides users through the American Heart Association’s four recommended steps.
- DOTReady (Cookeville, The Biz Foundry) is the only all-inclusive, fully digital, cloud-based software that can do everything needed to keep company drivers and fleet organized and DOT compliant.
- Healing Innovations (Nashville, Life Science Tennessee) is a medical device company that developed a revolutionary neurorehabilitation device called the Rise&Walk.
- Idyl Cloud (Nashville, Bunker Labs) is a public cloud platform that uses Operations Automation to allow developers to focus on designing applications, not configuring infrastructure.
- Nth Cycle (Knoxville, Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council) provides a recycling technology to enable a secondary source of rare earth and specialty metals for a sustainable, secure energy future.
- Possip (Nashville, Nashville Entrepreneur Center) provides schools with a simplified, consistent two-way communication tool that engages diverse parents easily and simplifies the work of leaders and administrators.
- SecondKeys (Memphis, Epicenter and StartCo) is property-management software that simplifies the process of filing maintenance requests, accepting payments, and lowering property costs for rental properties and HOAs.
- StoragePug (Knoxville, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center) helps self-storage facilities raise their visibility and attract customers with marketing and web tools built specifically for the industry.
“We’re thrilled to add a pitch competition to 36|86 that features the incredible talent in our state,” said Margaret Dolan, President and CEO of LaunchTN. “Our Network Partners work tirelessly alongside LaunchTN to support the growth of startups that bring new technologies and jobs to Tennessee. Seeing new companies successfully launch and scale reaffirms Tennessee’s business-friendly climate.”
Powered by LaunchTN, 36|86 is the South’s premier gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation-ecosystem builders. The festival runs Aug. 28-29 across five venues in downtown Nashville. For more information and to purchase a ticket, visit attend3686.com.
About Launch Tennessee
Launch Tennessee is a public-private partnership that supports entrepreneurs from ideation to exit, guided by a vision of making Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation. Partnering with Entrepreneur Centers in six regions, Launch Tennessee creates collaboration among entrepreneurs, the private sector, capital sources, institutions, and government to offer entrepreneurs what they need to succeed and stay in Tennessee to build companies and create jobs. Visit LaunchTN.org to discover what makes Tennessee a great state for startups.
