Phoenix-based incubator accepting applications for impact accelerator program

incubator

Phoenix startup incubator Seed Spot is accepting 15 companies looking to scale in this year’s Impact Accelerator program. This year, the program will be completely virtual and open to entrepreneurs from around the world.  The six-week program offers a curriculum that focuses on topics including pitching, financial projections, customer acquisition and team development. Seed Spot … Read more

Arizona startup funding: Hammoq raises $3M, Better Agency raises $2.1M

startup funding

Arizona startup funding continues to increase, allowing businesses to grow. Phoenix-based Hammoq and Mesa-based Better Agency recently announced seed round raises. Hammoq raises $3 million Hammoq announced a $3 million seed round late last month. The startup known as “the Shopify for e-commerce businesses” uses its platform to automate time-consuming tasks, including auto-listing products, cross-listing … Read more

Startup Connection event to explore using technology to build community

Startup Connection

Chandler Innovations, a business incubation and entrepreneurial development program, is holding its annual Startup Connection event on September 17 and 18. The event starts with a reception on Friday night that will be complete with food, drinks and recognition of Chandler Innovations Incubator’s fastest growing companies. The networking opportunity will be at the Crowne Plaza … Read more

Arizona broker buys CRE technology, plans to move business to Scottsdale

Arizona broker

The technology behind CRE Simple, a real estate technology startup from Oakland, was purchased by an Arizona real estate broker. Craig Coppola, a founding principal at Lee & Associates Arizona, a commercial real estate brokerage, and his newly-formed Habanero CRE Simple LLC purchased the proprietary source code for CRE Simple’s platform earlier this month. CRE … Read more

Tempe startup Fireline Science awarded competitive grant to improve online learning

Fireline Science

New Tempe-based startup Fireline Science has been awarded a competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant.  Every year, America’s Seed Fund, powered by NSF, awards $200 million to startups and small businesses that work to create products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups in science and technology can receive … Read more

Qwick planning big growth for 2021, adding to Arizona’s growing tech economy

Qwick, the Phoenix-based on-demand staffing platform for the food and beverage industry, will add more than 100 new employees this year — further evidence that Arizona continues to stand out as an up and coming tech ecosystem coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.  To say that Qwick struggled in 2020 would be an understatement. The … Read more

Tech Launch Arizona gives five student start-up teams funding for impactful proposals

start-up

Tech Launch Arizona (TLA) awarded funding to five start-up teams to develop software or mobile apps that will have a real societal impact. TLA collaborated with the University of Arizona Research, Innovation and Impact and Arizona FORGE to host the Impact Software/App Challenge.  Doug Hockstad, the assistant vice president of TLA, said the competition was … Read more

How to improve company culture — and minimize drama — in your growing startup

As your company grows, you may notice a change in the air around your physical — or virtual — office. You might hear of petty drama, rumors or disgruntled employees through the grapevine. “When did this happen?” you might think. How did attitudes change so much on your watch? According to Chris Cardinal, it’s likely … Read more

Ibrahim Mesbah says he’s hoping to build the Amazon of buying and selling car parts in latest AZ Tech Podcast episode

Ibrahim Mesbah wasn’t planning to build a multimillion dollar company. While he worked at PayPal, he developed a passion for finding e-commerce solutions. He was helping a friends’ brother source auto parts a few years ago at a Honda dealership here in the Valley and he saw how complicated and inefficient the process was. From … Read more

Ideapreneurs, this competition is for you

.Tech Domains, the new domain extension for the tech sector, announced a nationwide pitch competition — pitch.tech — for idea-stage entrepreneurs to win $10,000 in equity-free funding and over $100,000 in startup benefits.  The competition is in partnership with Startup Grind, a community of startups, founders, innovators and creators.  The Covid-19 pandemic’s effect on many … Read more