News & Views

15 bulleted updates on deals, funds, leaders and innovation in Tennessee.

A baker's-dozen of venture updates, including ClearTrack, TraceFemcare, Writerly, Invergarry, Swingzen and more.

[Updated with Kewpie news] Ahead of an impending press conference, we offer a thought experiment on investment scenarios.

Funding infusion at stake, as TNECD answers Treasury queries, LaunchTN replenishes board, adds staff as ops grow.

HealthIT, SaaS, Fintech are lead categories for venture growth in Volunteer state.

There are 16 firms aboard now, each starting with a $250K investment and a supportive non-distracting work-life environment.

After weeks of work and months of waiting for the outcome, news breaks on several fronts.

Launch Tennessee announced latest SBIR fundings.

Fintech entrepreneur Eric Satz (AltoIRA) is one of 60+ VCs, entrepreneurs, advisors playing 3686 Festival roles.

Administration's appointment of business and economic advisor comes ahead of Metro Nashville's mayoral election in 2023.

Updated 3 September 2022: 8 Tennessee economic-development coalitions pursued federal grants of $25MM+ more each. Only Memphis remained in the hunt.

Updated - Incumbent investor Joe Galante among those paving further runway for split-payments platform.

The PE has pulled trigger on early transactions, and its trajectory suggests more deals and 'thought leadership' ahead.

U.S. Treasury verdict still out, but more staff being recruited for developing TN ecosystem's capital stack.

Engineer-cum-entrepreneur Kevin Galloway feels his productizing skills, soldiers' front-line savvy make a good mix.

UPDATES Memphis-based hub sees diversity, agtech, national ecosystem development and innovation acceleration as vital.

Consumer Products, Advanced Manufacturing, Fintech, would join advanced energy, agritech, mobility, life-sciences concentrations.

Five TN cities home to 10 Engine candidates seeking to strengthen region's entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystem.

$1BN+ impact could rise in TN in decade of mobilizing investment capital and lending power.

Backed by Cercano Management, Relevance Ventures, Angels, TNInvestco, INCITE, et al, its team shifts principal office.

Departing after a decade with the EC, exec seems to have chops and passion for democratizing entrepreneurship.

UPDATED March 16, 2023 - M&A deal long done, but tech acquirer rationalizing broadly, leaving plans for local tech unit cloaked.

After seven workdays at the helm of the regional entrepreneur center, CEO looks at capital, staffing, budgets and more.

VentureSouth Fund V raise underway targets $10MM to augment Angels' individual bets and sidecar participation.

Updating PathGroup Recap | Lirio | Ursa Health | Thynk Health | Unity Wellness | EasyVet | Artemis | Iron Path | TSG.Mammoth

Continuing-ed content purveyor also sees Series A + diverse markets ahead in U.S. and beyond.

Memphis Y Combinator grad scales-up restaurant tech, after helping launch what's now Bay Area cell-cultured meat Unicorn.

Venture updates on new Funds, raises in Fintech, Music-Ent, Wealth, LifeSci, HCare, Media, HRtech, blockchain and other arenas.

[Updated] Co-founders seek $2MM, as VU OwenGSM, VU The Wond'ry and others seem to recognize startup's promise.

[Updated] Jumpstart Capital, Jumpstart Health Investors, Jumpstart Nova, Jumpstart Foundry play complementary roles.

Memphians Lackie, Roberts, Sousoulas and San Mateo-backed Chou are among leaders.

Hub praised for its startup drive and innovation emerges from pandemic throes with both strategy and wide-ranging leadership search.

[Updated] Approaching its 20th anniversary, NCN says it has has recruited its largest fund, yet.

Local CEO adds advisors, launches project involving American Airlines, eyes international scale

Backed/advised by key players, firm hits quick first close, attracts Kleiner Perkins veteran Deshpande

Chicago VC 7wireVentures led the round for startup's virtual-only offering of support for chronic-pain sufferers.

Updated: VC$ from Sopris and FCA Venture Partners helped native Nashvillian transplant Digital Reasoning business.

Expanding team and advisors include Nashville serial healthcare entrepreneur Joe Hutts

Startup CEO has an ear for music, mind for business, and her eyes on the VU Owen MBA finish line.

[Updated M&A] Backed by Frist, Sumitomo, et al, digital therapeutics startup mulls Series B capital raise.

The LaunchTN board has approved the search committee's recommendation. Stanton Chase managed recruiting.

Pending raise may signal leaning into growth for ultrasound maintenance platform broadens reach.

[Updated] Tele-engagement innovations from Nashville-LittleRock company connect NICU babies, parents, caregivers.

Marcus Whitney, Victoria Butler, Courtney Hale speak from head and heart about realities.

EC staff, led by COO John Murdock provide fresh details on EC capital-formation efforts.

Music City's relatively small game-dev sector may get a boost from this news.

UPDATED Co-founders love Nashville, but concentration of talent in HQ here is not a driver in recruitment.

The challenges are real, but this mission-oriented entrepreneur is 'grateful for the journey'.

Updated: VC Marcus Whitney, entrepreneurs Victoria Butler, Courtney Hale are empaneled to share and to judge presentations.

AI is a dominant theme among Industries of the Future Accelerator team members landing in Tennessee from other states and nations.

Dozens of updates on capraises, new funds, exec moves, startups and more.

Nashville's Frist Cressey Ventures brings together its first cohort of thought-leaders.

Moyer, Barnard, Martinez, Den Haring, Kauppila and Liu on prospects for AI's increased role in Tennessee.

Its $25M Series A in-hand, its healthcare- and tech-deep board, investors and management chart an ambitious path.

Beacon Impact advocates seek to preserve status quo (ante) of Tennessee companies' R&D-cost expensing.

HQ remains in Nashville, with incumbent VCs still aboard and growing BTC footprint in San Juan.

Nashville HC venture veteran marshals team and money to sort hundreds of potential targets, against the clock.

Fund Close Updated: This fintech VC's execs are involved not only in deals, but in potentially industry-transforming efforts.

Estes' departure from Smarsh's DRS unit signals break from DRS identity, and prologue to future.

D.J. Boggs is an entrepreneur, a bass-man and determined to get you outdoors to 'Lake Like Locals'.

[Updated] Four Black-led companies are already in the portfolio of $55MM fund, with a half-dozen more deals likely in the next 12 months.

A legislative initiative may be paying-off in both tech-startup entrepreneurship and tax revenue.

[updated] Nashville-based PARLER and peer platforms rev-up funding and stride line between discourse and mere cacophony.

This Left Coast-reared, Kentucky-vetted media entrepreneur moved to Nashville, where she's raising capital for a possible capstone venture.

With discipline and fresh capital, firm aims for control investments up to $30MM per firm in businesses that match its criteria.

Commentary: Does list of TN gains in 2021 reflect actual lack of 'major' entrepreneurial achievements?

[Updated 5 Jan 2023] Largest raise to-date follows project proliferation, Clearloop buy, Canadian market entry, continued support from global Shell.

Veteran investor, serial entrepreneur and data scientist advance civil engagement platform, mull capital raise.

Funds, capital raises by Health Velocity, Brentwood Capital, Mountain Group, Caduceus, Clovers, UpperLine and more.

B2B2C startup confirms convertible raise ahead of a Series C, expands services, values leverage of GM and other strategics.

NTC's crucial executive search cranks-up as Launch Tennessee's searches for its next CEO.

[updated] Build Back Better funding via EDA for ventures, biomaking, cyber and more could lift Nashville region's lifesciences ecosystem.

Silicon Ranch, Claritas, Resolute, Innova and other PE/VC and corporate fundraising, plus news on two-dozen startups.

UPDATED Exclusive health-wellness venture roundup with updates on fund raises, startups...all in Tennessee.

A manufacturing campus in West TN conceived in about 2005, has come to fruit.