Hey all,

I’m Kenton Hornbeck — the business editor at Middle Tech/LINK Media. Welcome back to The Build.

This past week, I had the privilege of attending the 5 Across pitch competition in Lexington. I watched five Kentucky-based entrepreneurs grace the stage, pitching their businesses to a panel of judges and an engaged audience.

What I loved about each of the five presenting founders was their distinct approach. Some took the stage with enthusiastic energy, while others delivered with the pointed professionalism of a TED Talk. Both approaches are equally valid, but it was interesting to see each founder’s personality shine through in their presentations.

Alongside the pitch competition, I had the pleasure of interviewing several founders who took part in the 2026 SOAR Summit. SOAR, eastern Kentucky’s entrepreneurship hub, has hosted the event since 2013.

What came through in my conversations was the need for ongoing collaboration among the region’s founders, politicians, and institutional stakeholders. With eastern Kentucky’s mountainous terrain and rural character, large-scale events like the SOAR Summit are important venues for these groups to cross-pollinate.

Check out my articles below!

The 2026 SOAR Summit brought approximately 1,200 entrepreneurs, business leaders, and elected officials to Corbin to discuss Eastern Kentucky’s economic future.

Among them was MotorVision co-founder Timothy Millhouse, who emphasized the importance of connecting entrepreneurs across the region to build businesses and strengthen the local economy.

The summit also announced nearly $48 million in grants supporting broadband expansion, infrastructure, workforce development, and other projects across Eastern Kentucky.

→ Read the full story

As demand for AI computing grows, data centers face mounting pressure to reduce energy consumption and maximize capacity.

In this episode of Middle Tech’s Mission Critical, FLUIX AI co-founder and CEO Abhi Sastri discusses how his company uses artificial intelligence to optimize data center cooling and power systems.

Recorded inside a working data center in Knoxville, Tennessee, the conversation explores how FLUIX helped the facility reduce non-server energy consumption by about 25%, the challenges of deploying AI in critical infrastructure, and the growing debate over data centers' environmental impact.

Listen to the episode on Spotify

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

Meta plans to invest approximately $15 billion in a hyperscale data center spanning over 2,000 acres in Mason County, potentially creating 2,000 construction jobs and 400 permanent positions.

The Mason County Fiscal Court unanimously approved an agreement on Oct. 13, granting Meta a 40-year property tax exemption in exchange for annual payments to local governments. The deal also includes $115 million in infrastructure improvements.

While officials are touting the project as a major economic investment, some residents have raised concerns about its impact on the community.

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Five Kentucky entrepreneurs took the stage at Awesome Inc.’s 5 Across pitch competition in Lexington, showcasing startups focused on artificial intelligence, home services, healthcare and collaborative problem-solving.

Flyover Automation founder Cole Jarecke won the Oct. 14 competition, earning $500 and a spot in December’s finals, where he'll compete for $5,000 and the opportunity to secure a $50,000 investment from Keyhorse Capital.

From an AI-powered assistant for working mothers to technology helping families care for older adults, here’s a closer look at the five startups and the ideas behind them.

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