Tennessee Innovation Exchange officially launches to connect universities, researchers, and industry partners

For immediate release

New statewide platform from Launch Tennessee, TTAC, and Halo opens Tennessee's research ecosystem to industry collaboration and commercialization

Nashville, TN - Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), in partnership with the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) and Halo, today announced the official launch of the Tennessee Innovation Exchange (TNIX) - a new digital platform designed to connect Tennessee's universities, researchers, and industry partners to accelerate innovation and commercialization across the state.

TNIX serves as a centralized, statewide gateway to Tennessee's research ecosystem. The platform highlights the expertise, capabilities, and innovation strengths of participating universities, making it easier for companies, investors, and public sector partners to identify collaborators and develop research partnerships.

Through TNIX, researchers from participating TTAC universities have public profiles showcasing their expertise, research assets, and innovation areas. Industry partners can explore these capabilities, identify potential collaborators, and engage with universities on research opportunities that advance technology development and commercialization.

LaunchTN and TTAC institutions can also use the platform to post partnering opportunities, funding calls, and collaboration requests-creating new pathways for researchers and companies to work together on solving real-world challenges.

"The launch of TNIX represents a major milestone for Tennessee's innovation ecosystem," said Lindsey Cox, CEO of Launch Tennessee. "By creating a unified platform that highlights the incredible research happening across our universities, we're making it easier for industry partners to find collaborators and helping move discoveries from the lab into real-world impact."

The six founding TTAC institutions participating in TNIX are:

- University of Memphis
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Tennessee Technological University
- Meharry Medical College
- East Tennessee State University (ETSU)
- Tennessee State University (TSU).

Together, these universities represent a powerful network of research expertise spanning health sciences, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, engineering, and emerging technologies.

"We're excited to see TNIX go live and begin connecting Tennessee's universities with industry partners around the world," said Kevin Leland, CEO of Halo. "By making academic expertise more visible and accessible, TNIX helps unlock new partnerships that accelerate innovation and economic growth."

The platform also strengthens broader statewide efforts to expand research commercialization and industry engagement.

"With the launch of the Tennessee Innovation Exchange, Tennessee is strengthening how industry connects with the research capabilities of our universities," said Nathan Buttrey, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Office of Innovation, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. "TNIX complements TNECD's initiatives, including the $25 million IRIS Grant Program, by helping companies identify the right academic partners and accelerating the movement of ideas from the lab to the marketplace."

Companies, investors, researchers, and ecosystem partners are invited to explore the platform and discover collaboration opportunities across Tennessee's research community.

Visit and explore the platform attnix.org

About Launch Tennessee
The Tennessee Innovation Exchange (TNIX) is an initiative of Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN), created in collaboration with the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) and powered by Halo. Supported and coordinated by LaunchTN's statewide network, TNIX provides a unified digital platform that elevates the research strengths of Tennessee's universities and connects them with industry and innovation partners. As part of LaunchTN's vision of making Tennessee synonymous with high-growth startups, TNIX strengthens commercialization pathways, increases visibility for researchers, and drives collaboration that fuels economic growth across the state. Learn more athttps://launchtn.org/.

About Halo
Halo is a global network and platform where companies connect and collaborate with academic experts, startups, and research partners worldwide. As the technology provider powering the Tennessee Innovation Exchange (TNIX), Halo enables a statewide digital front door for Tennessee's research ecosystem-bringing together faculty, universities, and industry partners in a single, searchable platform. With tools for profile generation, expertise search, and proposal management, Halo supports Launch Tennessee and the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) in accelerating commercialization and research-to-market success across the state. Founded in 2020, Halo's network spans more than 150 countries and has facilitated thousands of industry-researcher connections. Its global customer base includes Bayer, BASF, Kraft Heinz, P&G, PepsiCo and many others. Learn more at halo.science.