State of Innovation Day 2025: Five Years in, Looking Ahead
Five years of strategic work became evident on Dec. 9 as leaders from across Alabama’s innovation ecosystem gathered at Regions Field for State of Innovation Day 2025. Since Gov. Kay Ivey established the Alabama Innovation Commission to chart a statewide strategy, those early priorities have taken shape in programs, investment and job creation across the state.
A Statewide Vision Taking Hold
Board Chair Bill Poole opened with a point that carried throughout the program.
When we invest in innovation in Alabama, we invest in jobs in Alabama. We invest in our communities and in the state’s economy.”
He cited the Wall Street Journal ranking Birmingham among the top cities where new graduates are launching their careers as a sign of what can happen when strong legacy industries meet new opportunities.
CEO Cynthia Crutchfield described 2025 as a year centered on helping founders start, stay and stabilize. “We wake up with the drive to make the possible, possible for the communities we serve,” she said, pointing to the importance of acting on strengths Alabama already has. The organization is entering a phase focused on scaling what works and ensuring communities across the state benefit. “This progress has never belonged to one organization. It has been built through partnership and betting on our people.”
Panel 1: From Lab to Launch
Thomas Haymond, Titomic (top left); Charisse Stokes, Montgomery TechLab (top right); Mark Froleich, Analytical AI (bottom left); Virginia Overstreet, Zeus Research and Technology (bottom right)
The evening’s first panel brought together founders and ecosystem partners to discuss how Alabama accelerates technology from research to real-world applications. Moderated by Lisa May Davis of The Catalyst Center in Huntsville, the discussion made clear why defense companies are choosing Alabama.
Virginia Overstreet, CEO and co-founder of Zeus Research and Technology, a multi-round Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR supplemental grant recipient, described how proximity to Redstone Arsenal creates a distinct advantage. “If you can get your foot in a lab there, you earn credibility across the federal system,” she said. Access to those facilities expedites testing and reduces costs at a critical stage for small companies.
Analytical AI CEO Mark Froehlich described a similar impact. His company provides AI-driven threat detection for aviation and border security. Two Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR supplemental grants allowed the team to hire engineers from Alabama’s talent base ahead of major federal work, positioning the company to pursue and secure its largest federal contract to date, opportunities that often go to larger firms.
Titomic’s Thomas Haymond explained why the Australian company, a LendAL recipient, relocated its global operations to Huntsville in 2025. He noted that the region offers a mix of legacy expertise and emerging capability that strengthens the company’s work. “That blend of experience and new capacity is moving the needle faster here,” he said.
Charisse Stokes of Montgomery TechLab, an Innovate Alabama Tax Credit recipient, added that companies often need support navigating federal acquisition processes and understanding how to work with defense customers. Her organization helps bridge those gaps while also building tech talent pathways from K-12 through higher education, ensuring companies have the workforce they need to grow in Alabama.
Panel 2: Scaling for Staying Power
Michael Lynch, Chonex (top left); Blair Blacker, SetaTech (bottom left); Sean Thompson (bottom right); Dean Mitchell, HudsonAlpha Wiregrass (moderator)
The second panel, moderated by Dean Mitchell of HudsonAlpha Wiregrass, highlighted companies building on core sectors of Alabama’s economy.
Chonex, based in Robertsdale, is developing new ways to repurpose waste from poultry operations and has used InvestAL to support its growth. The company stressed that access to capital programs designed for early-stage businesses is often the difference between proving an idea and scaling.
SetaTech, operating in Ozark, develops commercial products made from agricultural waste. The company works with accelerators strengthened by the Tax Credit Program, which creates a pipeline for research-driven products to move from concept to market.
Huntsville-based Psigryph collaborates with HudsonAlpha, also supported by the Tax Credit Program, to advance delivery technologies used in food and agriculture. Access to skilled talent and technical facilities has helped the company validate its work and reach customers faster.
Across the panel, the message was consistent. When companies have access to capital, technical expertise and customer networks, they take root and grow here.
The Keynote: Why Place Matters
Auburn alumnus, founder and investor Cam Doody focused on what makes a place competitive for business growth. Companies, he said, stay where they can hire the people they need, access capital without barriers and operate in a community that wants them to succeed. Alabama, he noted, has become increasingly intentional about creating those conditions and is earning recognition as a place where innovation, talent and capital work in tandem.
Celebrating Alabama’s Founders
The winners of Alabama Founder Fest, presented by gener8tor,Techstars and Alabama Launchpad, spanned companies developing solutions in energy, health and business technology, along with a special award for best song.
Founder Fest Pitch Blitz winners:
Petra Power (sustainability and overall)
Vacavision (agriculture)
OncoSphere AI (health)
Homepoint (business)
Katie Braswell (best song)
Alabama Launchpad, operated by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) in partnership with Innovate Alabama and supported by the Alabama Department of Commerce, remains the state’s most active early-stage investor. Since 2006, the program has invested more than $6.6 million in 124 companies that have created over 1,600 jobs and now exceed $1 billion in combined valuation.
Network and EDO partners were also recognized for strengthening regional innovation capacity. Since 2023, the Innovate Alabama Network has awarded $30 million to 168 designees across 68 counties to help catalyze innovation across the state. In addition, the Innovate Alabama Tax Credit Program has awarded $73.5 million to 24 EDOs across 58 projects. Supplemental Grant recipients were highlighted for advancing research tied to federal SBIR and STTR awards. Since 2022, Innovate Alabama has deployed $19 million in matching grants to 86 companies.
Celebrating Alabama’s Innovation Leaders
Rep. Danny Garrett presented the Innovator of the Year Award to Dr. Ben Fulmer (pictured right; his colleague accepted the award on his behalf) of Fulmer Instruments, whose patented technology addresses long-standing challenges in clinical practice.
Innovate Alabama also presented its first Innovation Community Builder Award to Dean Mitchell of HudsonAlpha Wiregrass (pictured left), recognizing his work to ensure communities statewide have access to the tools and partnerships needed to grow.
Looking Ahead
Sec. Greg Reed closed by emphasizing that innovation is central to Alabama’s economic competitiveness. Alabama is retaining more graduates and drawing professionals from outside the state, thanks to our workforce strength, affordability and quality of life. Communities across the state are contributing to this progress in ways that reflect their own assets.
As Innovate Alabama moves into 2026, the focus is clear: strengthen the tools that deliver results, back small businesses wherever they emerge and keep talent connected to opportunity. Alabama’s innovation economy is growing because its people are committed to building the state’s future together, not just imagining it.
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State of Innovation Day 2025 was sponsored by Alabama Power, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Protective and Regions Bank.
