“We’ve been focused on developing the ecosystem the last two years,” says Heath Guinn, Founder and President of the Sync Space Entrepreneur Center in Kingsport. “Through this focus, we’ve seen nearly $4 million of new resources awarded to our region’s entrepreneurial network.”

As is the case with all programs that are supported by Launch Tennessee, Sync Space serves a nine-county region in Tennessee, but also extends its non-Launch Tennessee activities into parts of three other states: Eastern Kentucky, Western North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia.

When we talked with Guinn, he was most excited about a new initiative named “Accelerate Appalachia.” Describing it as a “beacon for the region,” it is a collaborative effort between the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Research Corporation, Ballad Health Systems, Appalachian Highlands Center for Innovation, and Sync Space which will leverage support from regional organizations and Launch Tennessee to promote entrepreneurial programs throughout the Appalachian Highlands region.

According to the newly-launched website, the partnership will integrate all aspects of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem in support of early stage company growth with a particular emphasis on biomanufacturing initiatives and other regional comparative advantages in medical and rural health care, ag and med tech, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and entertainment tech.

“Accelerate Appalachia,” through the ETSU Research Corporation and Sync Space, will run a new initiative named the ß-Tech Accelerator. It is an early stage start-up program that identifies, recruits, and nurtures high-potential start-ups through tailored programs, creating a pipeline of scalable ventures that drive regional economic growth. Through its comprehensive support system that encompasses business mentorship, access to funding, and specialized facilities, the Accelerator helps companies overcome commercialization hurdles and scale up to meet market demands.

Applications for the accelerator program will open in spring 2025.