Tennessee Life Science Support Programs
From funding to commercialization to its pro-business culture, Tennessee offers robust support for advanced technology companies and startups. Below is a sample of the kinds of programs Tennessee offers that help life science companies thrive:
Funding Opportunities
- SBIR/STTR Matching Grants
LaunchTN provides non-dilutive matching funds to Tennessee companies that receive federal SBIR/STTR awards, helping accelerate R&D, commercialization, and business growth. Learn more
- InvestTN Capital Access
LaunchTN’s $70M InvestTN fund provides equity investments to early-stage companies through regional and thematic funds. Learn more
Commercialization Support
- SBIR/STTR Application Support
LaunchTN helps Tennessee startups compete for federal SBIR/STTR funding through training, expert guidance, and microgrants that support engagement with experienced grant-writing consultants and proposal development resources. Learn more
- Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC)
TTAC is a statewide technology transfer and commercialization support network that provides resources, expertise, and connections to bridge the gap between academia and industry. Learn more
- Project Healthcare Life Science Cohort
This new cohort leverages Project Healthcare’s curriculum, mentorship, and connections with LST’s network to help early-stage companies get to market faster. Learn more
- Patent to Product Accelerator
The University of Memphis’ Patent to Products program offers salaried university positions to post-doc fellows to help them turn ideas into successful Memphis-based companies, utilizing patented intellectual property developed in Memphis and across the United States. Learn more
Business Support & Acceleration
- Life Science Venture Program
Life Science TN’s mentor-driven accelerator supports early-stage life science companies across Tennessee. Learn more
- Spark Incubator Program
Housed at UT Research Park, this program provides laboratory and office and lab space, expert mentoring, and programming to growing companies working in biotech. Learn more
- Zero to 510
Based in Memphis, this nationally recognized three-month accelerator program supports medical device startups. Learn more
- Entrepreneur Center Networ
LaunchTN supports a statewide network of entrepreneur centers and industry partners in life science, energy, mobility, fintech, and agtech. Learn more
Access to Capital
- LSTCON Venture Forum
Held each fall, this pitch event connects life science startups with investors – and prize money – at Life Science TN’s annual conference.
- Venture Days
Life Science TN hosts a matchmaking event for investors and Tennessee-based life science entrepreneurs to spotlight and help fund Tennessee’s top life science technologies.
State Incentives
- Innovation & Research for Industry Success (IRIS) Grant Program
IRIS aims to stimulate new industry-led research and development (R&D) partnerships between Tennessee based companies and the state’s leading research institutions. Learn more
- Incentives for Job Creation & Infrastructure
The Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development offers tax credits and grants tied to job creation and capital investment. Learn more
- Manufacturing Equipment Tax
Tennessee offers a sales tax exemption on qualified manufacturing equipment. Learn more
Life Science Reports and Data
Life Science Tennessee is a leading source for industry research and data. With access to industry representation of all stages, we frequently survey our membership to produce quality reports and recommendations on the growth of Tennessee’s life science sector. Below are several of our published reports.
| RESOURCE | PUBLICATION DATE | DESCRIPTION | LINK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State Bioscience Industry Report | January 2022 | Tennessee’s bioscience industry has grown its employment base by 7 percent since 2018 and reached more than 44,000 total jobs in 2021 across 2,899 state business establishments. Four of the five industry subsectors in the state have increased employment and contributed to the overall job gains… | TN-BIO2022 – state profile (11) |
| How states can grow Bioscience Sectors | June 2023 | As the nation emerges from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Biosciences industry continues to illustrate its value through advancements in biomedical, energy, and advanced food and industrial technologies, along with an expanding mix of employment opportunities with incomes that support a quality standard of living… | BIO_CSBA_Best_Practices_Report_2023 |
| IRA’s Impact on the US Biopharma Ecosystem | June 2023 | Vital Transformation (VT) modeled and estimated the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) pricing provisions for a cohort of the top 200 Part B and D drugs by CMS spend, resulting in 92 drugs impacted by IRA in the next 10 years, which are produced, collectively, by 41 biopharmaceutical companies… | IRA’s Impact on the US Biopharma Ecosystem |
| The State of Emerging Therapeutic Companies | June 2023 | State_of_Industry_Report_v2 | |
| STEM Assessment | November 2023 | Our Foundation’s STEM Assessment evaluates both the current landscape of science, technology, engineering, and math careers in Tennessee and our state’s educational readiness to meet the rising demand for STEM talent in high-wage fields. | LSTF STEM Assessment |