Authored By Chloé Morrison

Digital storytelling platform and Chattanooga company Pass It Down is a semifinalist in a global startup competition. Startup of the Year, which was established to consult budding organizations, hosts the annual competition, in which companies from around the world vie to be named the top company. Pass It Down, which helps people and cities preserve and document memories and history, has made it to the top 100 semifinalists out of more than 500 applicants from 38 counties and a range of industries. The remaining 50 semifinalists will be announced in coming weeks before the October event, which the chosen teams will go to Boston to connect with industry leaders and mentors and battle for prizes and a potential cash investment. "The Pass It Down team is thrilled and excited to be recognized as one of the most innovative startups in the world," founder Chris Cummings said via email. This news comes as Pass It Down has been participating in an Atlanta-based startup commercialization program. It was one of 11 companies to be chosen for that program. Both the recent recognitions have been validation for Pass It Down, which has been expanding in the past year, Cummings said. "In the last eight months, Pass It Down's platform has expanded to bring history to life for cities, libraries, museums, and some of the world's top businesses," he also said. The Pass It Down team—which includes new hire Ashlee Lawrence, who started her career with Reliance Partners and has come on as the director of business development—is splitting time between Chattanooga and Atlanta now. "[We are] connecting with some of the world's top companies including Coca-Cola, Porsche, SunTrust, the Atlanta Braves and many more," Cummings said. "We will have more announcements about the accelerator in the coming months."