ZeroTo510 Demo Day didn’t just showcase five new MedTech startups. It offered a clear snapshot of a Memphis innovation ecosystem hitting its stride.
Inside the Central Station Hotel, you could feel the kind of energy that only happens when founders, nonprofits, and small business leaders decide to show up for one another. Conversations layered over each other, handshakes turned into introductions, and the room carried that familiar Memphis mix of ambition and grit.
Epicenter Memphis CEO Anthony Young opened the night by naming what many in the ecosystem have been sensing: the pace is picking up. Founders are accessing support earlier. New companies are forming faster. And Memphis is building the infrastructure required to become a true hub for high‑impact ventures.
He grounded that momentum in the numbers:
132 founders supported
17 companies launched
$12M+ unlocked in investment and revenue opportunities
You could see that momentum reflected in the crowd itself. BVO, Routes and Jobs, Speci‑nate, Ship It Pro, CodeCrew, the Black Chamber of Memphis, and the SBDC: organizations that usually operate in different corners of the city, stood shoulder to shoulder.
For those newer to the scene, ZeroTo510 has long been one of Memphis’ most distinctive accelerators. A program built to help MedTech founders navigate regulatory pathways, validate their technology, and accelerate toward market readiness. It’s a quiet engine behind Memphis’ growing identity as a healthcare innovation city.
This year’s cohort stepped into that legacy with five compelling missions:
Fluent Medical
Founder: Sorosh Amiri
Problem Space: Liver disease
Medical Product: A fully implantable, minimally invasive decide to transform the treatment of ascites, a life-threatening complication of liver disease.
Navigator Medical
Founder: Kenna Pruitt
Problem Space: Dialysis treatment
Medical Product: Patented needle guide to aid in the formation of buttonholes used for vascular access during dialysis.
Dichotics
Founder: Debrorah Moncrieff
Problem Space: Auditory diagnostics
Medical Product: a web-based software platform that screens for and treats unidentified auditory processing deficits in children and adults.
Nature‑found Biotech
Founder: Joshua Bush
Problem Space: Dental implants
Medical Product: A resorbable dental membrane derived from natural polymers for guided tissue regeneration.
Oya Medtech
Founder: Mitch Gilbert
Problem Space: UTI Detection Apparel
Medical Product: Patented underwear inserts that improve skin and health comfort for active individuals. Oya MedTech's sister brand, Oya Femtech Apparel, delivers patented performance underwear designed to integrate this technology.
Different problems. Different markets. One shared belief: Memphis can be a launchpad for solutions that matter.
Why this moment matters: gatherings like this compress the distance in a spread‑out city. They turn acquaintances into collaborators. They remind us that momentum isn’t accidental; it’s built through consistent work by people who believe innovation is part of Memphis’ identity.
Memphis isn’t just watching its innovation economy grow. It’s building it: one founder, one connection, one room like this at a time.
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