Launched in 2013, PowerTech Water was just a small team of engineers and scientists and has since grown into a trusted partner for global manufacturers. Hailing from the University of Kentucky and Led by James Landon and Cameron Lippert in 2018 PowerTech Water became ElectraMet. ElectraMet was a former client of VACE and has grown significantly since its early startup days in ASTeCC, grant funding, and they also received investment from BlueGrass Angels. The Advanced Science & Technology Commercialization Center is UK's premier entrepreneurial ecosystem business incubator that encourages early-stage, high-technological, start-up company growth that will lead to economic development opportunities for the Commonwealth. Now in September of 2025 ElectraMet is celebrating its new Lexington Facility!
The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) at the University of Kentucky is starting the fall season with a full slate of events, workshops, and networking opportunities. The September newsletter serves as a comprehensive guide for students, alumni, and the wider Lexington business community.
Click here for the full September newsletter and download all event details and documents.
LEXINGTON, KY - The University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics is preparing to host a new cohort of innovative startups for the Fall 2025 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp 1.0. This online business accelerator, run by the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE), aims to help aspiring Kentucky-based entrepreneurs turn their ideas into viable businesses. The program offers weekly training, networking opportunities, and a hands-on approach to launching new ventures.
A new academic year is here, and we're thrilled to welcome back all our Wildcats! The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) is kicking off the Fall 2025 semester with our highly anticipated Bootcamp. This program is designed to transform innovative ideas into viable startups, providing founders with the tools, mentorship, and network they need to succeed.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 28, 2025) - In a groundbreaking demonstration of industry-academic collaboration, graduate students from the University of Kentucky piloted a logistics innovation that could redefine how transportation fleets track and optimize deliveries across the U.S. Through a partnership with Valvoline Global, the student-led team launched EdgeTrack Solutions, an AI-powered logistics platform designed to enhance real-time shipment visibility, fleet analytics, and support operations insights.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 17, 2025 ) — Some of Kentucky’s most innovative high school students created business solutions for real-world problems and acquired skills that will serve them for a lifetime during the 2025 Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) Summer Startup Program. Students tackled challenges ranging from mental health to lithium-ion battery disposal to heart failure detection. GSE identifies, inspires, and empowers Kentucky’s future innovators through its three-week Summer Startup program for high schoolers.
Summer is in full swing, and so is the spirit of innovation at the University of Kentucky's Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship! We're thrilled to share some inspiring success stories from our talented founders, highlight exciting upcoming events, and provide valuable resources for aspiring entrepreneurs in our community.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2025) Meet Madison Bates, the visionary founder of R.A.M. Devices, LLC, an innovative MedTech startup dedicated to transforming stroke rehabilitation. With a strong foundation in biomedical engineering and neuroscience from the University of Kentucky, Madison has channeled her expertise into developing cutting-edge wearable sensor technology.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 20, 2025) — The Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) and the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky have announced a three-year extension of their partnership. The GSE “Summer Startup” program will be held on campus through 2027.
June Newsletter 2025 - Summer is buzzing with entrepreneurial energy and opportunities across Kentucky! We're thrilled to announce that The Gatton College is hosting the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs Summer Startup, nurturing the next generation of innovators. Our own VACE Advisory Board Chairman, Silas Deane, was recently showcased on the Middle Tech Podcast, sharing valuable insights for the startup community.
Lexington, Ky (April 2025) - The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE), in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is excited to announce the Spring 2025 winning startups! Each winning team received prize money to move their ideas forward and help build further momentum into the next phase of their entrepreneurial journeys. Congratulations to all the founders that represent the University of Kentucky, the local entrepreneurial community, and surrounding counties across the state of Kentucky!
More than 20 student-entrepreneurs showcased their innovative ideas and business savvy during the 2025 PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition Sat., April 26, at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics. This full-day competition allowed University of Kentucky student teams to pitch their business plans to judges for a chance to win a total of $20,000 in prize money.
The competition was divided into an undergraduate division and a graduate division and was judged by a multi-disciplinary panel.
Lexington, KY – On Tuesday, April 16, 2025, student entrepreneurs from the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and Fayette County Public Schools presented their innovative ideas at the 250LEX Entrepreneurial Showdown at the Transylvania University Campus Center.
Press Release, Office of Mayor Linda Gorton (April 8, 2025) - Entrepreneurial teams from the University of Kentucky, Fayette County Public Schools, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and Transylvania University will compete for cash prizes during the April 16 Entrepreneurial Showdown presented by 250Lex and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.
The 20th Annual Clinical Center for Translational Science (CCTS) Spring Conference was held on April 1, 2025 in the Central Bank Center. The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) in the Gatton College of Business and Economics hosted its 8th annual 1-minute poster pitch competition. This year's conference theme is "Pioneering Pathways: Innovative Trial Design in Translational Science."
Lexington, KY (March 26, 2025) – The University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business hosted the PNC Innovation Summit, organized in partnership with the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship. The event on March 26th proved to be a resounding success, fostering connections, sparking innovative ideas, and highlighting the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem thriving in the Bluegrass region.
It's exciting to delve into the intersection of entrepreneurial development across continents as North-West University (NWU) in South Africa visited the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the Gatton College of Business & Economics. Universities are evolving beyond academic learning and becoming “dynamic hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship”, according to Professor Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU).
On March 1, 2025, the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) Collegiate Pitch competition showcased the innovative talent emerging from Kentucky's universities, with University of Kentucky (UK) Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) Bootcamp teams making a notable impression. VACE played a key role in preparing the Bootcamp teams for the competition. Five Bootcamp startups were selected to compete in the 2025 GSE Collegiate Pitch: DocAI, PRLZ Extracts, RAM Devices, NeuroVista, and HandyHat.
Startup Runway turns the funding gap faced by founders into an onramp. Finalists have had rounds led by firms from Canaan Partners to Microsoft, Techstars, Valor, Floodgate and more. Investor introductions helps promising founders meet first investors. This exclusive program creates relationships with angels and VCs that make a significant difference in how fast startups get funded.
The PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition is open to all University of Kentucky students from all majors across campus. Teams will pitch a business plan in their division, undergraduate or graduate (including PhD candidates), to compete for prize money. Student teams are encouraged to perform their best pitch to a panel of prestigious judges for a chance to win seed money for their startup ventures! A total of $20,000 in prize money has been generously sponsored by PNC Bank.
