AZ Tech Beat is Downsizing

I started AZ Tech Beat four years ago with the goal of exposing the tech activity and growth that was occurring in Arizona. Since then, the team at AZ Tech Beat has written over 1,600 articles about tech startups, funding announcements, event coverage, significant milestones, co-working openings, expansions, and more. Our coverage has gained recognition by USA Today as the publication to tune in to all things AZ tech. We are regularly read by thousands of local community influencers and tech junkies, as well as investors around the country. We are known as the tech experts on all Arizona TV affiliate networks. We created the educational web series The Startup Journal. The team has put on amazing tech-focused events to bridge the community including Silicon Desert Breakfast and Lunch Meetups, the first ever Startup Bus Tour, Free Lunch Fridays, and more.
AZ Tech Beat could not have done this alone. You, along with so many awesome people in our community, have fueled our enthusiasm to report the awesome tech news from border to border. I thank you for all you do to elevate our tech scene.
Today I’m announcing a change in format for AZ Tech Beat. Beginning February 1, 2016 we are shifting to a volunteer-only staff. Maintaining a full-time staff has been a substantial financial burden to Axosoft with no clear path to self-sustainment through sponsorships in sight. While we had several enthusiastic sponsors, sponsorship revenue has covered less than 10 percent of the costs of operations. We have been unable to secure the resources and sponsorships needed to maintain the level of quality we expect to give to the community. The site will remain online and archived, however the content and events will be substantially reduced moving forward as it will be driven by volunteers, rather than paid staff.
I want to thank our Community and Social Media Manager Ryan Loebe, and Tishin’s extended writing staff, including Reid Simpson, Janelle Ong, Travis Arbon, Chloe Nordquist, Carlene Reyes, Brandon Brown, as well as our ASU Cronkite interns and contributing freelance journalists, for their enthusiasm, passion and tireless pursuit of “Exposing The Awesome” of the Arizona tech scene.
I especially want to thank Chief Editor, Tishin Donkersley, who has become the face of Arizona tech news and has worked tirelessly at all hours of the day over the past three years to make AZ Tech Beat the go-to source for Arizona’s Tech News. None of it would have been possible without her.
To be clear, AZTechBeat.com is not shutting down. However, effective Feb 1, 2016, it will no longer have a full-time staff. We are also looking at ways to work with the local tech community to help keep content flowing.
Sincerely,
Hamid Shojaee