CONTACT: Sarah Pope: sarah@piper-communications.com | (615) 542-2999

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 1, 2024) – Business leaders, students and investors came together today, both in person and online, to celebrate Knoxville’s entrepreneurial spirit at the Innov865 Alliance’s annual Startup Day pitch competition.

The Innov865 Alliance selected nine startup companies that reflect Knoxville’s diverse talent, including startups Algaeo, Authentrics.AI, HumanAI, Loop, Perseus Materials, Safire Technology Group, Inc., and emerging entrepreneurs AluminAiry, Flock Analytics and KnoxBots. 

At the celebration, Andrew Hanna, Chief Product Officer of Safire Technology Group, Inc., received the $10,000 Judges’ Choice Award, presented by the Innov865 Alliance. Attendees voted for Luke Wiseman, Co-founder & CEO of Loop, to take home the Crowd Favorite cash prize of $5,000, presented by Three Roots Capital and Carrasco Trump, PLLC. 

Judges’ Choice Award: Safire Technology Group

Safire Technology Group Inc. is advancing battery safety with innovative liquid-to-solid electrolyte additives for Lithium-ion batteries. These additives prevent fires and explosions during crashes or impacts and provide protection against projectiles.

Crowd Favorite Winner: Loop

Loop integrates with organizations’ existing systems to streamline data extraction and ensure that information reaches the appropriate stakeholders reliably and efficiently.

“Three Roots Capital and Carrasco Trump PLLC are proud to sponsor the Crowd Favorite award at this year’s Startup Day pitch competition,” said Grady Vanderhoofven, president and CEO, Three Roots Capital. “Luke Wiseman’s presentation today is a testament to the innovation and spirit of entrepreneurship here in East Tennessee, which is exactly what Innov865 Week celebrates. Congratulations to Loop!”

For the first time, Startup Day featured an emerging entrepreneur pitch competition for students and new graduates, organized by the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The judges selected Wesley Pitts, co-president and partner of KnoxBots, as the winner of the $2,500 Emerging Entrepreneur cash prize. 

Emerging Entrepreneur Winner: KnoxBots

KnoxBots specializes in Grounds Maintenance Automation (GMA) through specialized service models tailored specifically for commercial properties, including golf courses, institutional settings, and government landscapes.

In addition to the pitch competition, CGI awarded the Innov865 Traction Award to StoragePug. The award recognizes a Startup Day alum who has established significant traction since participating in Startup Day. In 2023, StoragePug was No. 782 on the Inc. 5000 list, with 753% three-year growth. StoragePug creates online tools made just for self-storage, allowing companies to attract more tenants, rent more units and grow their businesses.

“CGI is thrilled to join forces with the Innov865 Alliance as the sponsor of the 2024 Innov865 Traction Award presented to StoragePug,” said Lori Ortega, Director of CGI Federal’s Knoxville Delivery Center. “Since winning both the Judges’ Choice and Crowd Favorite awards in Startup Day in 2018, StoragePug has been recognized on a national level for its incredible growth. We at CGI congratulate StoragePug on its success and look forward to continuing our partnership with the dynamic Knoxville ecosystem in building and supporting a computing-focused economic environment.”

Special guests at Startup Day included Knoxville City Mayor Indya Kincannon, Derrick Furlow Jr. and Kim Quigley of Onrise, winners of the InvestTN 2024 Pitch Competition at 3686 in Nashville.

The event also spotlighted the advantages of a community our size having access to diverse sources of capital in a fireside chat presented by Three Roots Capital, featuring serial entrepreneur Bill Malkes, CEO of NellOne Therapeutics; Brandon Bruce, Co-Founder and General Partner of Market Square Ventures; Don DeRosa, Co-Founder and CEO or Eonix; and moderated by Grady Vanderhoofven, Founder and CEO of Three Roots Capital. 

Innov865 Week 2024 offers over 15 events, including the Cohort Showcase, Raising and Rising and the 121 Tech Hub Grand Opening. To view the full lineup, visit the Innov865 Week event calendar.

About Innov865 Week & The Innov865 Alliance

Innov865 Week is a weeklong celebration of Knoxville’s entrepreneurial spirit that brings together startups, entrepreneurs, makers, investors, business leaders, students, and community leaders from across East Tennessee for a week of educational panels, pitch competitions, investor roundtables, and social events. It is presented by the Innov865 Alliance, a coalition that develops, supports, and promotes the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Founding members of the Innov865 Alliance include the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PYA, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Three Roots Capital, Tennessee Valley Authority, Launch Tennessee, Knoxville Chamber, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, Veteran Ventures and the City of Knoxville. To learn more, visit innov865.com.