Tech 2020 Announces Applications for autoXLR8R 2015

 

Oak Ridge, TN - April 2, 2015 – Tech 2020 of Oak Ridge, TN   announces open applications for autoXLR8R   2015. autoXL8R is a business accelerator for startups seeking to   commercialize technology in the automotive industry. The application process   is detailed on the program website: www.autoxlr8r.com. The deadline for   applications is May 29, 2015.

The program opens in Oak Ridge, TN on July 6, 2015 and runs   through the week of August 31, 2015.

autoXLR8R is in it’s third year, having started at the Southern Middle   Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers (SMTEC) in Tullahoma, TN. Tech 2020 has been involved with providing   educational support since it’s inception.   Now the organization will leverage its rich history in entrepreneurial   support to deliver the comprehensive program.   autoXLR8R 2015 is presented   in coordination with LaunchTN and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center.

“East Tennessee is a great place for autoXLR8R,” said Shawn   Carson of Tech 2020. “It’s a strategic   location for a program that will extend to startups across the southeastern   US. We are in the heart of innovation and   technology development with institutions like the Oak Ridge National   Laboratory (ORNL) and the Clemson University International Center for   Automotive Research (CUICAR) close by.”  

Carson went on to describe how the program will evolve for   2015. “We are moving to an   online/remote based program delivery, which will minimize disruption of the   entrepreneur’s normal business activities, and it also removes geography as a   constraint. We expect to have   participants from across Tennessee and the southeast.”

Jack Sisk, autoXLR8R   Program Director since 2013, came along to Tech 2020 with the program. Sisk said, “the automotive   industry is constantly seeking innovation and the integration of new   technology into its vehicles. We view autoXLR8R   as a catalyst to introduce these new technologies.”

 
Tech 2020 (www.tech2020.org) is a regional   venture development organization (VDO) and is a Tennessee non-profit   corporation established in 1995.  The organization initially was   chartered to assist with the creation of small businesses through technology   transfer from Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge, TN.  Among   the first VDOs in the nation, Tech 2020 has won national awards from the   State Science and Technical Institute (SSTI) and the National Business   Incubation Association (NBIA). Tech 2020 has been recognized by the   University Business Incubator Index as one of the nation's top four   incubators and one of the top six internationally.  Tech 2020 provides   physical and virtual incubation services, as well as coaching and mentoring,   to small businesses.