Please join us for the Startup Showcase and LEEP Demo Day, May 13, 2026 held at Covenant Health Park in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.
This event will bring together startups, investors, industry leaders, and federal and state partners to highlight innovation and entrepreneurship in East Tennessee and across the nation.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) recruits top entrepreneurial talent through a national call for a fully funded fellowship at national laboratories. The program supports founders with early-stage energy startups and emerging technologies, helping them advance their innovations and bring them to market.
LEEP is helping the U.S. cement its position as a leader in critical and emerging technologies including:
- Energy generation and storage
- Quantum computing
- Biotechnology
- Advanced materials
- Artificial intelligence
- Microelectronics
During the afternoon, LEEP participants will pitch to an audience of investors, industry partners, representatives from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and other stakeholders, highlighting innovation and entrepreneurship in the region and beyond. That evening, see technology in action at the startup demos.
Pitches from LEEP graduates and alumni from:
- Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne National Laboratory
- Cyclotron Road at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Innovation Crossroads at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- West Gate at National Laboratory of the Rockies
Our programs’ combined alumni and fellows have raised over $4.2 billion in follow-on funding and have deployed manufacturing projects and entered commercial energy and technology markets across the country.
Full agenda coming.
Click here to be notified when registration opens.
Travel Information:
Nearest Airport: McGhee Tyson Airport (Alcoa, TN)
While there is not a formal room block, we recommend the following hotels:
- Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown (401 W. Summit Hill Drive)
- Hilton Knoxville Downtown (501 W. Church Ave.)
LEEP is managed and funded by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), with additional support from the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) in partnership with other DOE offices. In 2026, stewardship of LEEP is being transferred to the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). The program strengthens ties to local and regional innovation ecosystems through strategic partnerships, supporting technologies critical to DOE’s mission.