Arizona has empowered entrepreneurs with bold ideas by streamlining burdensome regulations and cutting taxes. And startups across Arizona have leveraged the state’s highly skilled and growing workforce.
programs, which are aimed at helping startups and small businesses stimulate technological innovation.
“The Arizona Innovation Challenge has been really helpful and instrumental in that early stage ,” said Curtis Gunn, a longtime Arizona angel investor and former judge for the AIC. “We are now seeing the effects of a flywheel in which successful companies either exit or have grown to the point where executives are going out and starting their own companies. And those are the next generation of companies that are getting financed.
Each 2022 Arizona Innovation Challenge awardee moves through three rounds of competition, which includes pitching their startups before a panel of investors. As part of their award, startups meet with mentors and industry experts for one-on-one coaching via Venture Ready., a 2022 AIC awardee. “From ACA’s Virtual Accelerator program to the AIC, 2022 has been a year full of learning and growth for us. We’re honored to be recognized as one of Arizona’s innovative startups.