Middle Tech

Jeff Cummins from Immersive Hearing Technologies: “All the features you get in AirPods you get with hearing aids as well.” Modern hearing aids use DNN chips for AI-powered noise reduction and speech intelligibility. The tech has quietly become incredibly sophisticated.

“The shortcut you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.” Logan reflects on joining Valent in 2025 and what it taught him about growth, discipline, and showing up. Season 9 is officially live 🎙️ #Startups #Entrepreneurship #LexingtonKY

Season 9 of Middle Tech is live. The kickoff episode reflects on 2025: • building a startup • betting on community + content • what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next New episode out now. Listen here: beacons.ai/middletech

Big ideas. Bold founders. Real momentum. Huge congrats to the winners and every founder who took the stage at the 5 Across Finals. Grateful to @awesomeinclex for powering Kentucky’s startup community. This is 5 Across.

“This isn’t an AI problem. It’s a we-stopped-building problem.” Will Howard of Elementl Power breaks it down: ⚡ AI just exposed the cracks. ⚡ We need new power plants, now. ⚡ This is the moment to rebuild the grid. Full episode beacons.ai/middletech

“Kentucky’s an amazing state for new nuclear.” Will Howard from Elementl Power on why KY’s infrastructure, coal legacy, and water access make it ideal for next-gen energy projects - and why Google’s already scouting sites. 🎧 Full episode → beacons.ai/middletech

We asked founders the important questions: their work soundtrack, their alternate-universe career, and the quirks that keep them building. Don’t miss the 5 Across Finals TOMORROW hosted by @awesomeinclex - the perfect place to hear more from the people shaping Kentucky’s startup scene. Get your tickets here: beacons.ai/middletech

Grab your tickets from the link below before it's too late! 👇 awesomeinc.org/events/5across/

Finals Feature: Pitch Please 👅 This startup aims to revolutionize the creator economy by directly connecting influencers with prospective companies. Hear more from founder Jen Hartmann this Wednesday at the 2025 5 Across Finals!

What do a 60,000 sq. ft. facility, 5M AI insights/month & Inc. 5000 wins have in common? They all started on the 5 Across stage. Dec 3 → Celebrate 15 years of KY’s most iconic pitch event. You don’t want to miss this one. Get your tickets here: beacons.ai/middletech @awesomeinclex

Chris Wiedmar of Hogshead on discovering a $100M+ bourbon problem: Brown-Forman couldn’t predict barrel yield. That moment sparked a journey into whiskey-tech - and eventually, the launch of Hogshead. 🎧 Full story: beacons.ai/middletech

Finals Feature: Essential Innovations ☀️ This mission-driven startup aims to unlock new potential by helping employers and nonprofits unlock tax and training credits to serve their workforce. To hear more from CEO Ben Reno-Weber, check out the 5 Across Finals on December 3rd!

“The bourbon market is worth billions - but it’s still incredibly opaque.” Chris Wiedmar (Party Horses, Hogshead) is fixing that with a tech-driven marketplace for bourbon barrels. Hear how a Kentucky startup is turning whiskey into a tradeable asset. Full episode: beacons.ai/middletech

A Lexington biotech startup is turning bourbon waste into protein. Pet food. Fish farms. Fertilizer. This isn’t just innovation - it’s Kentucky’s future in the making. Watch the story: beacons.ai/middletech

Brandon Corace of Meridian Biotech on how it all began. From early energy research to bourbon byproducts, Brandon shares how his team discovered a new way to turn distillery waste into sustainable materials. Listen to our latest episode for the full story: beacons.ai/middletech

Finals Feature: DataRovers 🤖 This startup is set on transforming the healthcare industry by using AI to streamline denial management to bring the focus back to patient care. Hear more from Co-Founder and CEO Jawad Popalzai at 5 Across Finals on December 3rd!

Where you're going to have fun this week: ✅ 5 Across ✅ Fellowship Demo Day ❌ Your couch Get your tickets today! zurl.co/ee7ar zurl.co/MW6MB

On our latest episode: How a $40M deal with Buffalo Trace is turning bourbon waste into biotech gold. ♻️ Founder Brandon Corace of Meridian Biotech breaks it down. Listen → beacons.ai/middletech