 Ido Sarig MBA IN JANUARY, Memphis venture expert Ido Sarig sailed past the second anniversary of his efforts to help drive dealflow, techcentric commercialization and startup growth in the Memphis region.
His network now built-out, Sarig teams daily with Alchemist Accelerator, Epicenter Memphis, the University of Memphis (UM) and like-minded others.
As VNC previously reported, in Memphis Sarig is most visible as managing director of Alchemist's proprietary Memphis Hub, which he helped launch in January 2023 in collaboration with Epicenter.
The Hub's mission is to serve as a regional doorway for founders of companies that sell to Enterprises (not to Consumers) and who want to join one of Alchemist's accelerator cohorts.
Sarig seems to scout ceaselessly for companies, talent and themes that represent opportunities for one or more partnering organizations.
Of course, that keeps him very busy.
Last week, for example, he collaborated with Epicenter, the Memphis World Trade Club, AlchemistX (Alchemist's enterprise-services unit) and regional Logistics executives to hold a demo day for five startups that have been participating in Epicenter's 2025 Logistics Industry Opportunity Challenge.
Next-up for him and his Memphis colleagues: The Medical Device Operations Challenge Demo Day is Nov. 4. That's when five as-yet undetermined startups from the Epicenter-ZeroTo510 program will pitch MedDevice Device decision-makers, details here.
 |
Ido Sarig discusses career, opportunities
before students in UMemphis
DECA and AI Ethics Clubs (2024) |
Also, Sarig's always on the lookout for talent.
For example, in behalf of the University of Memphis, where he is the part-time director of technology commercialization, Sarig made known last week that a UM spinout candidate is looking for an experienced startup CEO with interest in Agtech, animal welfare and sustainability to capitalize on campus intellectual property to spin-out a new company.
The spin-out in question is UpCycle Farma, a fact confirmed today by both Sarig and UM Associate Prof. Amber Jennings PhD, whose research and IP-generation have led to Upcycle's advance. (Sample UM Research Foundation's other equity interests here.)
The history of the Epicenter-Alchemist alliance thus far suggests that Epicenter's current all-hands push to launch its Mississippi Delta regional DELTECH 2025 conference and pitch competition (Oct. 8-10 this Fall in Memphis), will also draw-in Alchemist/Sarig and other allies.
THE DELTECH pitch competition applications window closes Sept. 8, 2025. Three categories: Logistics/SupplyChain, MedicalTech, and General Technology. Apply here.
PIPELINES
At VNC request, Sarig provided further highlights and details from the past two years.
He told VNC that Palo Alto-based Alchemist Accelerator has inducted via its Memphis Hub three Memphis-based companies: Glocate; S+V Technologies, and Zignyl.
'Relevant but not-indigenous' companies are also recruited, in hope of connecting them with Memphis. Some non-Memphis' companies attracted: Mitra Bio (Medical devices), AVOL Aerospace (logistics), Foreqast (logistics, woman founder), Transship (logistics), Inskill (adv. manufacturing), and Thruline (fka Redshift).
The abovementioned 2025 Logistics Opportunity Challenge cohort featured: eezyimport; freightmate.ai; GenLogs (Winner); Ship It Pro; and, WireBee. In 2024, a similar reverse-pitch program included six semi-finalists: AIZENFLOW; Wand AI; Tradelanes (winner); Vendorflow; QuikScope; and, Shipflow.
Further, although the Memphis Hub's "Crucible" pre-accelerator program is not currently active, during a roughly 12-month trial period it netted 11 Memphis companies that completed the program. One of the Crucible teams mentioned above -- Glocate -- was also later admitted to an Alchemist Accelerator cohort.
Those Crucible grads:
BACKSTORY
In 2021, Sarig and his wife, Vered DeLeeuw departed their Palo Alto homestead after two decades, just as their two children moved-on to postsecondary studies. Her LinkedIn is here.
After leaving California, the couple resided 18 months in Bethesda, Md. They pulled-up stakes in January 2023 after Sarig accepted an opportunity to establish the Alchemist Accelerator Hub program in Memphis, in collaboration with Epicenter. The couple resides in Shelby County.
Relocation notwithstanding, DeLeeuw without interruption continued publishing her long-running Healthy Recipes Blog (VDL, LLC) and related initiatives.
Sarig's LinkedIn profile shows that, in addition to Alchemist, Epicenter and University of Memphis, his current and former affiliations have included executive, scout, advisory and other roles with more than 25 organizations.
Now 61, his career has been built upon a computer engineering degree he earned at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and his MBA from Coller School of Management of Tel Aviv University. VNC
.last edited 2008 29 July 2025
|
Comment
Print
