Who Funds Artificial Intelligence Startups in Tennessee?

Real, verified funding sources for artificial intelligence founders in Tennessee: VC funds, accelerators, angel networks, and active grant programs — sourced from SEC filings and Grants.gov, not estimates.

Artificial Intelligence Funding Snapshot — Tennessee (as of July 2026)

  • 1
    1 VC fundsheadquartered in Tennessee with "Artificial Intelligence" in their name
  • 2
    4 acceleratorsopen to artificial intelligence founders in Tennessee (including globally-available programs)
  • 3
    6 angel networksbased in Tennessee
  • 4
    53 open grantsin the Technology category, refreshed nightly from Grants.gov

Artificial Intelligence VC Funds in Tennessee

FCA Health Innovations III AI, LP

📍 Nashville, TN📅 Filed April 2026

General partners: Whitney H. Kalb, Andrew J. Bouldin, Charles W. Johnson & 1 more

$3.1M
Effective fund size

Artificial Intelligence Accelerators Open to Tennessee

4 programs

Techstars Industries of the Future

Oak Ridge, TN

Techstars Industries of the Future

$120K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Microsoft for Startups

Global

Microsoft

$150K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Google for Startups

Global

Google

$100K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

AWS Accelerator

Global

Amazon Web Services

$100K
Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline
Learn More →

Angel Investor Networks in Tennessee

6 networks

Nashville Capital Network

👥 80 members💰 $25K - $300K check range

📍 Nashville, TN

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerLogistics

Vanderbilt Angels

👥 60 members💰 $25K - $200K check range

📍 Nashville, TN

HealthcareTechnologyConsumerLife Sciences

The Angel Roundtable

👥 58 members💰 $5K - $100K check range

📍 TN

TechnologyGeneral

Nashville Angel Network

👥 50 members💰 $10K - $150K check range

📍 Nashville, TN

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Tri-Star Angels

👥 40 members💰 $10K - $100K check range

📍 Memphis, TN

TechnologyHealthcareSoftware

East Tennessee Angel Network

👥 40 members💰 $10K - $100K check range

📍 Knoxville, TN

TechnologyHealthcareSoftware

Grants in the Technology Category

Artificial Intelligence falls under the broader "Technology" category in federal grant data. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including Tennessee) — live from Grants.gov, refreshed nightly.

Ready To Learn Programming

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Deadline: July 8, 2026Apply →
$1 - $400K
Deadline: July 15, 2026Apply →

TechAccess: AI-Ready America

U.S. National Science Foundation

$3M - $4M
Deadline: July 16, 2026Apply →

CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service

U.S. National Science Foundation

$300K - $2.5M
Deadline: July 21, 2026Apply →

?Artificial Intelligence Funding FAQs — Tennessee

Are there artificial intelligence VCs headquartered in Tennessee?

Yes — 1 funds headquartered in Tennessee have "Artificial Intelligence" (or a close synonym) in their legal name, based on SEC Form D filings. This is a name match, not a verified thesis, so it understates true local investor interest.

What accelerators in Tennessee support artificial intelligence startups?

4 accelerator programs open to Tennessee-based artificial intelligence founders are in our database, including programs based in Tennessee and globally-available programs.

Are there angel investor networks in Tennessee?

Yes — 6 angel investor networks based in Tennessee are in our database, ranked by member count with artificial intelligence-relevant groups surfaced first where our sector data supports it.

What grants are available for artificial intelligence founders?

53 currently open federal grant programs are tagged under the Technology category, which is where artificial intelligence falls in our grant classification. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including Tennessee), pulled live from Grants.gov and refreshed nightly.

Your Artificial Intelligence Funding Action Plan

1

Research & Prepare

  • Review the 1 artificial intelligence-matched funds above and their filing history
  • Check each fund's website for current investment criteria before reaching out
  • Prepare a pitch deck and financial projections tailored to your stage
2

Apply & Connect

  • Apply to the 4 accelerator programs listed above
  • Reach out to the 6 angel networks in Tennessee
  • Check eligibility for the 6 open grant programs above
3

Follow Up

  • Track deadlines for any application-based programs above
  • Look for warm introductions through your existing network before cold outreach
  • Revisit this page periodically — fund and grant data refreshes nightly