Diversity is a hallmark of Memphis’ population. And the city is known for its entrepreneurial nature. The inaugural class of Memphis Inno's Startups to Watch reflects that racial, gender, and business-focused diversity.
Since its fall 2021 launch, Memphis Inno — MBJ’s brand geared toward startups, technology, and innovation — has expanded its coverage of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. The section highlights startups and founders who are breaking technological ground in their respective industries, with new ventures and innovative product offerings. Represented among Memphis Inno’s Startups to Watch in 2022 are entities with concerns as varied as medical technology, music and digital content, transportation, finance, and retail.
Some are early stage companies figuring out how to get off the ground, and others already have significant sources of funding and are looking to scale up. All are uniquely Memphis ventures.
MedHaul
A local startup that is less than five years old has already been affiliated with some big names: Google, Morgan Stanley, and Citi.
MedHaul is a cloud-based tech that streamlines finding and booking transportation to health care facilities via quality, vetted providers.
It began when Erica Plybeah had issues locating non-emergency, medical-related transportation for a family member. Difficulties encountered in that experience, combined with her tech background, formed the genesis of MedHaul.
She officially founded MedHaul in 2017 after winning the Memphis Medical District Collaborative and Epicenter’s Operation Opportunity business plan competition.
That competition came with $20,000 in seed funding. She then added an additional $50,000 via Epicenter’s Logistics Innovation Accelerator in 2017.
Since then, Plybeah has been strategic about raising capital for MedHaul. And she has had a string of successful affiliations — both mentorships and investments — with some big company names in tech and finance.
In 2020, MedHaul was chosen for participation in Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab. That accelerator’s selection generally comes with a $200,000 investment. The same year, Google invested $50,000 in MedHaul via its Google for Startups initiative.
In January 2021, Citi’s new venture capital fund, the Citi Impact Fund, became an equity investor in MedHaul for an undisclosed amount.
Those investments have helped the outfit grow. MedHaul expanded its service reach into Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia in 2021.
“We’re really focused on the Southeast, predominantly targeting communities that are usually impacted by higher rates of chronic illness,” Plybeah said.
