Startups ready to scale, southern culture and stellar access: it’s no wonder we can’t wait.
As a marketing and PR agency focused on growth stage companies in tech, retail, healthcare, energy and more, Write2Market keeps a close eye on places where these industries and companies connect. We watch especially closely, events where attending companies demonstrate proof of concept and are ripe to scale. It’s also one of the three pillars of our methodology. We file that under “Access.”
Having recently completed the 36|86 Southern Series of events focused on regional collaboration and identification of the best startups in the southeast, our colleagues at Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) are now in the home stretch run to 36|86, the center for southern culture and entrepreneurship in Nashville, June 8-10.
Here are the top 3 reasons we are positively stoked for 36|86:
- Lineup – LaunchTN has engaged a roster of speakers and panelists for 36|86 of which any conference would be proud. Eventbrite Co-founder and President Julia Hartz will be delivering the keynote address. Ventureneer President and Forbes Contributor Geri Stengel is speaking. John Biggs (TechCrunch), Jonathan Shieber (CrunchBase), Paul Singh (1776), Logan Bartlett (Battery Ventures) are all on the roster. The access to experienced startup investors, founders, media and other industry leaders is going to be amazing.
- Focus on culture and hospitality – If you have ever had the opportunity to engage with any member of the LaunchTN team, their commitment to southern culture and hospitality comes to the fore almost immediately. There is something unique about the brightest southeastern entrepreneurs and investors. Its source lies somewhere in the mix of business smarts, barbecue, music, beer and maybe some bourbon. This combination is pretty much impossible to resist.
- The companies – LaunchTN is amassing a track record of success in both the recruitment and development of highly investable young companies. “Digital cobbler” Feetz is changing the entire footwear industry using 3D printing as noted by Tim Hay in the Wall Street Journal’s Venture Capital Dispatch. EndoInsight is proving CO2 insufflation has a high-value place in the medical device industry. Graph Story is giving real time insight into complex connected data. We will be seeing these companies at 36|86, and we can’t wait to see the next bumper crop of startups ready to scale and ready to show it. Rivalry, Florence Healthcare and PartPic are the Atlanta-based companies vying for the $36,000 top prize. We can’t wait to see them shine onstage in Nashville.
On Wednesday of last week, Launch Tennessee announced the full roster of “Village 36” participants representing the best in southeastern startups at 36|86. During Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest 2015 Tour stop in Atlanta, the aforementioned PartPic walked off a winner once again. Does this make them the odds-on favorite to win in Nashville? We’ll eagerly have to wait and see.
Who’s coming along to Nashville next month? The Write2Market team will be onsite at Marathon Music Works soaking up the best in southern hospitality and entrepreneurship and learning from seasoned VCs, startups moving into growth stage, media and more.
Twitter: @pdsnyder @write2market LinkedIn: Paul Snyder | Write2Market