After more than a decade as Startup Day and Innov865 Week, the event was rebranded as 865 Fest, a single-day conference designed to bring Knoxville’s entrepreneurial community together through pitch competitions, keynote speakers, panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. The new format created a more focused and engaging day of programming to showcase the region’s entrepreneurs, innovation and business community.
Trillium Renewable Chemicals raised $13 million in Series B financing to support Project Falcon, the world’s first demonstration plant for 100% bio-based acrylonitrile. The milestone marked Trillium’s transition from pilot-scale validation toward industrial production and commercial deployment.
Two area startup accelerator programs, the SPARK Cleantech Accelerator and Innovation Crossroads, welcomed a new cohort of companies in the fall of 2023.
SkyNano is a science-based technology company focused on commercializing a free-market solution to carbon pollution.
Trillium Renewable Chemicals is pioneering a new chemical manufacturing process to produce bio-based materials from renewable feedstocks. In December 2022, the company raised a $10.6 million Series A financing round.