Middle Tech

Welcome to the Spotlight Series, where we shine a light on extraordinary individuals who have forged their own path to success. In the latest episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with JP Blevins, a former University of Kentucky basketball player who has played a significant role in building two hyper-successful companies: Live Oak Bank and nCino. Our conversation covered variou...

In this episode, Logan and Evan cover the intriguing clash between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, as they consider a cage fight and engage in a Twitter feud. We'll dive into the details of their challenge and discuss the potential charitable aspect of the fight. Plus, we explore Meta's move to develop a Twitter competitor under the working title P92 and its implications for the social medi...

On this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sat down with Monique Quarterman, Executive Director of KY Innovation. KY Innovation is the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s Office of Entrepreneurship, and they’re responsible for supporting and developing our state’s startup ecosystem. Through the support of organizations such as Middle Tech, as well as their regional hubs (Aweso...

In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, Logan and Evan discuss the recent changes to the Reddit API, Intel's groundbreaking quantum chip, and the opening of Shadow Ventures' operations in Louisville. We explore the controversies surrounding Reddit's API changes and the implications for AI companies training on its data. We also delve into Intel's Tunnel Falls quantum chip and i...

In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with Josh Lay, the founder of Nymbl Systems, a medical records and practice management system. Josh shares the elevator pitch for Nymbl Systems, highlighting its efficiency in managing patient records, scheduling, and billing, allowing healthcare providers to spend more time with patients. He discusses the evolution of the business,...

In this episode of the Middle Tech Podcast, Logan and Evan discuss the AppHarvest foreclosure lawsuit, where Equilibrium Capital alleges that AppHarvest breached its obligations, leading to a potential liquidation of assets. Logan and Evan share their insights on the implications and possible outcomes of this legal battle. Next, we explore the recent development in the electric vehicle charging la...

In this episode of Middle Tech, Logan and Evan discuss three big stories in the tech world: Toyota's investment in sustainable energy and Elon Musk's Neuralink getting FDA approval. We'll also talk about Nvidia's brief brush with a $1 trillion valuation. Toyota Sustainable Energy Toyota has announced that it will be investing $591 million in its Kentucky manufacturing plant to prod...

On this weeks episode, we’re sharing the recording from our live panel discussion about Angel Investing in Kentucky. The panel included Brad Luttrell, CEO & Cofounder GoWild & Holler Commerce, Gregg Morton, CEO & Cofounder of Fooji, and Jeb Jerrell, Director of Render Capital’s Angel Network. Moderated by Evan Knowles, the discussion covers feedback on KY’s Angel networks, tactical adv...

In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with TJ Barnett, the founder and CEO of Full Court Social, a social media agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. Full Court Social helps businesses of all sizes create, curate, and manage content on social media to reach their target audiences and achieve their marketing goals. TJ shares his insights on how he started Full Court Social...

In this week's episode, Logan and Evan discuss AppHarvest's latest SEC filings, TikTok's ban in Montana, and Sam Altman's testimony to the Senate about the dangers of AI and calls for regulation. AppHarvest, a vertically integrated indoor farming company, filed its 8-K and 10-Q with the SEC on May 10th. The 8-K report details unscheduled material events, while the 10-Q report provi...

In this week's episode, Logan and Evan discuss the latest technology and innovation news. The first topic of the episode is Helion and Microsoft's power purchase deal for nuclear fusion. They dive into the details of the agreement, including the financial penalties if Helion fails to deliver. They also talk about the potential of AI in fusion research and how it could help advance the tech...

In this week’s episode, Logan and Evan discuss some of the latest developments in the world of technology and AI. They cover topics such as the White House's upcoming AI meeting with top executives from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, IBM's CEO announcing a hiring freeze as he expects AI to replace 7,800 jobs, and the failure of First Republic Bank due to uninsured deposits. Addi...

In this episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight Series, we sit down with Varun Dwaraka, Head of Bioinformatics at TruDiagnostic, to discuss the cutting-edge work being done at this Lexington-based startup. TruDiagnostic is making waves in the health and aging industry with their focus on epigenetic analysis and their commitment to using only proven processes and real research. Dwaraka shares the scie...

In this episode, Logan and Evan cover a range of topics from Congo Brands' expansion to the latest AI developments at Meta and Apple. Congo Brands is investing $8.2 million in a new headquarters in Kentucky, which is expected to create 500 jobs over the next decade. We also discuss Meta's new product group focused on generative AI and the impact it could have on the future of social media....

In this weeks episode, Logan and Evan discuss how Apple has teamed up with Goldman Sachs to introduce a high-yield savings account that offers a 4.15% APY, which is ten times the national average. Apple's foray into finance has been successful, with services like Apple Pay, Apple Card, and Apple Cash being well-received by consumers. Next, we'll delve into the world of space travel and tal...

This week, Logan and Evan dive into the latest developments in the world of artificial intelligence. Our first topic centers around Elon Musk's recent move to start a rival AI company called X.AI, after changing the name of Twitter to X corp. by merging the two companies together. We discuss his plans to build an everything app like WeChat in China and power it with AI likely trained on Twitte...

This week, Logan and Evan explore several topics that are currently shaping the tech industry. They start by discussing Jack Harlow's investment in Phocus, a Louisville-based drink brand, and highlight the potential benefits of the collaboration between the popular rapper and the beverage company. We then delves into Tesla's recent decision to reduce the prices of its Model S and Model X v...

Dr. Stephen Carrithers is the founder and CEO of AmDx PrognostX, a biotechnology company working to develop an immunoassay blood test to identify early diabetes-related microvascular dysfunction. With 88 million Americans suffering from prediabetes, many remain unaware of their condition, leaving them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health complications. The groundbreaking...

This week, Logan and Evan dive into the latest major battery projects in Kentucky, including EnerVenue's investment of $264m into a gigafactory in Shelby County, and Microvast's $504m investment in Hopkinsville. These announcements solidify Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States. We also discuss Kentucky's latest legislation on medical marijuana and sports b...

This week Logan and Evan discuss the Fed's decision to raise their benchmark interest rate, and the current state of the banking industry. We also dive into the controversy surrounding TikTok's privacy policies and the possibility of forcing them to sell to an American company. For our AI Edge segment, we explore OpenAI's launch of plugins and the fundamental shift it creates in the wa...

This week Logan and Evan are join by Michael Lewis, Co-Founder at THESIS Education, to discuss the Silicon Valley Bank crisis that shook the tech industry. SVB received an influx of deposits due to the tech boom and VC, leading to unrealized losses when they invested poorly. They sold at a loss and raised more money, causing a run on the bank. We explore the misunderstanding of the $250k FDIC depo...

In this episode, we caught up with Kate Van Pelt from Synaptek, who we previously interviewed in 2019. They've made significant progress in the field of concussion protocol management and are currently raising funds for their company. Kate shares insights on the new business model they're taking on with Synaptek and all of the exciting developments since we last talked to them. Visit us at MiddleT...

This week Logan and Evan discuss Figure releasing their first images of its humanoid robot. The also discuss how Neuralink was denied by the FDA to begin human testing and the future of the company. And we go recent news in the AI space in our AI Edge Segment! 0:00 - Intro 3:02 - Kentucky Invests $117 Million Toward Small Businesses 10:38 - Massive Growth Coming to Elizabethtown, Kentucky 13:51 -...

This week Logan and Evan discuss whats going on in Kentucky with startups and raising capital. The DOJ is reportedly getting ready to file suit to block the $20 billion Adobe-Figma deal  announced last year on the grounds it is anti-competitive. And we go recent news in the AI space in our AI Edge Segment! 0:00 - Intro 3:23 - Kentucky startups that are leveraging Wefunder 8:26 - The Curr...

This week Logan and Evan discuss what’s going on with Tesla recalls, Twitter’s algorithm update for Elon, Shopify’s move to reduce meetings, and the newest the development in AI. 0:00 - Intro 1:55 - Train Derailment 5:23 - Tesla Recalls 9:34 - Elon vs Biden Twitter Impression 13:10 - Shopify Cutting Back on Meetings 20:21 - AI Fighter Jet 24:24 - Bing Chat 26:28 - Prompt Injection 32:41...