Mayra Roman, chief logistics operator of Algaeo, pitches the power of synthetic fertilizer to the judges and audience at the Startup Day 2024 pitch competition. Credit: Matt Brass/Innov865 Alliance

Entrepreneurs, city leaders and community members gathered Oct. 1 at the Mill and Mine in downtown Knoxville for Startup Day 2024, the flagship event of Innov865 Week. Innov865 highlights the efforts of the Innov865 Alliance to develop, support and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the Knoxville region.

Startup Day is an annual pitch competition for local startups, including student entrepreneurs. The importance of collaboration and community were emphasized throughout the afternoon, from Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon thanking Knoxville-based entrepreneurs "who are taking risks, willing to innovate and bring your ideas to fruition … in order to address the needs of our community," to calls for attendees to share ideas with and learn from one another.

Alumni and advisors to Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that offers a two-year fellowship for researchers working to address and solve energy and manufacturing challenges, were represented at all parts of the event, whether pitching cutting-edge companies or offering advice to other entrepreneurs and makers.

Dan Lee, chief executive officer and co-founder of Perseus Materials and Innovation Crossroads alumnus, Maya Roman-Rivera, chief logistics operator of Algaeo, an Innovations Crossroads company, and John Derrick, Innovations Crossroad advisor, pitched their respective startups and answered questions from a judges panel in two rounds. The winner of the Startup Day 2024 Judges' Choice Prize, a $10,000 prize, was awarded to Andrew Hanna, chief product officer of Safire Technology Group, an ORNL licensee on a mission to revolutionize lithium-ion battery safety.

Dan Lee, chief executive officer and co-founder of Perseus Materials, explains his company's mission to "build bigger, simpler" by utilizing fiber-reinforced plastics to the judges and attendees at the annual Startup Day pitch competition. Credit: Matt Brass/Innov865 Alliance

Innovations Crossroads alumnus Don DeRosa of Eonix shared the stage with former Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator director and ORNL licensee Brandon Bruce to offer advice to entrepreneurs in the room and watching virtually. DeRosa encouraged entrepreneurs to think about nontraditional investments, including grants, and reminded them that "you're in a great region for collaboration, with the support of University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory."

Grady Vanderhooven, president and CEO of Three Roots Capital, stressed to the crowd that "any successful community has a lot of entrepreneurs in it." To highlight the next generation of local talent, emerging entrepreneurs from the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville took to the stage to take part in the inaugural student pitch competition. The $2,500 prize was awarded to Wesley Pitts and his startup KnoxBots. Luke Wiseman, cofounder and CEO of Loop, won the Crowd Favorite Prize.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.