KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (September 29, 2026) – Hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, students, and business and community leaders gathered today at Bridgewater Place in West Knoxville for the Innov865 Alliance’s signature 865 Fest.  

865 Fest (formerly Startup Day) featured pitch competitions, featured speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions designed to spark ideas, foster collaboration, and celebrate innovation.

The Innov865 Alliance selected six startup companies that reflect Knoxville’s diverse talent, including Aquafer Technologies, New Horizon Precision, Applied 2D Materials, DataRook, Fibarcode, and AtomQ, and six emerging entrepreneurs, Joseph Shinkle of Edura, Alex Del Vecchio of Big Al’s Hot Mustard, Kendra Mueller of WarmWave, Patrick Ragozzine of Arbor AI, Jack Ford & Alan Schneider of JobWillow and Blake Hopkins of Cofluence to pitch in front of a live audience and panel of judges for cash prizes totalling $18,000.

During the event, Spencer Dore, New Horizon Precision, received the $10,000 Judges’ Choice Award, presented by Comcast. Attendees voted for Gustavo Alvarez-Suchini, DataRook, to take home the Crowd Favorite cash prize of $5,000, presented by Carrasco | Trump.

Judges’ Choice Award

New Horizon Precision is an agricultural drone services company that uses large autonomous spray drones to apply fertilizer, crop protection products, and other agricultural inputs across farms throughout Tennessee and the greater Southeast.

Crowd Favorite Award

DataRook is a Knoxville-based education company whose flagship program, footyLab, teaches middle schoolers data science through soccer — students collect their own performance data with professional-grade GPS trackers, then learn Python by analyzing it. 

“These bold thinkers and entrepreneurs rely on fast, reliable connectivity to deliver products and services that help shape East Tennessee’s future,” said Mike Thibodeaux, Vice President, Comcast Business, Comcast Big South Region. “Comcast Business is proud to help power the progress that 865 Fest creates, and we’re honored to support an event that helps turn great ideas into lasting economic impact for our communities.”

“Carrasco | Trump is proud to present the Crowd Favorite Award to DataRook,” said Chris Trump, Partner of Carrasco | Trump. “865 Fest brings together the people, ideas and resources that help our local business community grow, and the Crowd Favorite Award gives us an opportunity to celebrate an entrepreneur whose idea and vision resonated with the business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs in the room. We’re honored to be part of an event that shines a spotlight on the innovation and entrepreneurial talent right here in our community.”

For the third year, 865 Fest 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 Alex Del Vecchio, Big Al’s Hot Mustard, as the winner of the $3,000 Emerging Entrepreneur cash prize.

Emerging Entrepreneur Winner

Big Al’s Hot Mustard is a family-founded sauce company built on bold flavor, entrepreneurial spirit, and the belief that healthy food should never be boring.

In addition to the pitch competitions, AXLE Logistics awarded the Traction Award to Endeavor Composites. The award recognizes a Startup Day/865 Fest alum who has established significant traction since participating in the event. Endeavor Composites is a company focused on making high-performance composite materials accessible for mass production.

“Entrepreneurship requires courage, persistence, and a willingness to build something greater than yourself,” said Ali Fraley, Vice President, L&D, AXLE Logistics. “Hicham Ghossein has demonstrated each of those qualities in growing Endeavor Composites and making a positive impact on those around him. We are proud to present him with the Traction Award and celebrate the momentum he continues to create.”

865 Fest included a full day of programming, featuring special guests such as City of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and featured speaker, newly-elected Mayor of Knox County, Betsy Henderson.

The event also featured three panels—one presented by Visit Knoxville focused on Knoxville’s rise as a culinary destination, a second presented by Three Roots Capital focused on advancing quantum technologies and the role they play in East Tennessee’s innovation economy, and a third panel featuring Startup Day and 865 Fest alumni, who had a candid conversation about what it really takes to build and scale a startup.

ABOUT 865 FEST & THE INNOV865 ALLIANCE

865 Fest is a full-day entrepreneurial event hosting visionary keynotes, premier pitch competitions, thought-provoking panels, and much more to explore how big ideas move from concept to reality. 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, and the City of Knoxville. To learn more, visit innov865.com.

Media Contact: 

Sarah Pope

sarah@piper-communications.com I (865) 329-0553

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