Memphis Startup Initiative ZeroTo510 Opens Applications for Second Annual Medtech Challenge

Epicenter Memphis is back with its ZeroTo510 program, and this year’s Medical Device Operations Challenge (MDOC) is building on everything the initiative established in year one. Applications are open now through July 6 for startups ready to dig into real operational problems in the medical device space, and the opportunity is significant.

Up to 15 companies will be selected to receive mentorship from industry experts across seven challenge categories, ranging from supply chain management to production costs. The competition is designed to connect early-stage startups with real operational issues and pair them with established experts to work through solutions together. Finalists each walk away with $5,000, and the winner earns a $25,000 equity investment. Demo Day is set for September 30.

MDOC is modeled after Epicenter’s Logistics Opportunity Challenge and builds directly on the momentum of its first year. When the program launched in 2025, ZeroTo510 director Olaf Schulz called it a new chapter for the initiative. The goal has always been to not just support founders in isolation, but to connect them to the broader ecosystem of companies and experts that make the medical device industry run. Year two signals that Memphis is serious about becoming a destination for medtech innovation and that the infrastructure to support it is already in place.

ZeroTo510 by Epicenter is a Memphis-based tech accelerator program that supports startup founders in the medical device space. Applications close July 6 at zeroto510.com.