The Startup Journal: Giving up equity

Whether it’s an investor or an accelerator who takes a cut of your startup, you as the founder must decide if giving up a part of your company makes sense strategically. Andrew Chaifetz, CEO and Founder of NoteBowl, sits down with us in the latest episode of The Startup Journal to talk about the decisions a founder will … Read more

Amplify your social media with Ampsy, expands to Scottsdale

Tennis player Maria Sharapova recently opened her Sugarpova candy stores in the US. To build up the buzz, the company launched the #ISpySugarpova pop up campaign at Wimbledon during her time on the court. The campaign generated several thousand sweet tooth images and content from fans and was captured with help of the comprehensive social media … Read more

Tucson Startup Weekend starts September 11

Fifty four hours of ideas, teamwork, and startup knowledge is what you can expect from a Startup Tucson Startup Weekend. This weekend-long event is meant to help people turn ideas a viable business. “This is a global event that happens all over the world and this is the 5th annual startup weekend here in Tucson,” … Read more

ASU announces 21 startups for Fall 2015 Edson cohort

Contribution by Chloe Nordquist From a mobile garden care platform to an electronic distribution company, 21 startups have been chosen to join the fall 2015 cohort of the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative at Arizona State University. Each startup will receive mentoring, office space, access to the ASU Startup School, and up to $20,000 in seed … Read more

POTUS Demo Day promotes diversity, AZ companies recognized

Co-written with Tishin Donkersley Only 1% of America’s venture capital-backed startups are led by African Americans, and only 3% are led by women. This has to change. Today, President Obama is hosting the first White House Demo Day, promoting diversity across all industries for women and minorities. The event is giving 30 entrepreneurs and startups … Read more

Startup Tucson debuts F***Up Nights

Let’s be honest, everyone effs up, even successful entrepreneurs. “F***up Nights” was created for that reason — giving entrepreneurs a chance to share their mistakes with other entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders. Now, “F***up Nights” is making its debut in Tucson with the help of Startup Tucson. “This is maybe the first in Arizona, its … Read more

OrbHealth raises $650,000 in first seed round

Phoenix based healthcare mobile application OrbHealth has raised $650,000 in their first round of seed funding, according to its CEO and Founder.   OrbHealth rose from the ranks of Dallas healthcare accelerator and has launched mobile applications for both patients and physicians to collect, disseminate and provide health data for both parties, said Paul Oran, … Read more

Innovate UA announces 1st cohort of startups in Innovative Minds Challenge

Innovate UA, in partnership with the Arizona Center for Innovation and Perkins Coie law firm, announces the first cohort in the accelerator program Innovative Minds Challenge at the University of Arizona (UA). UA is a prominent leader in generating entrepreneurs that partake in many initiatives to provide the world with a variety of solutions to … Read more

Venture Madness tips off with Thunder Dan Majerle

Photo contribution by Thomas Hawthorne “Never bend down or show you are tired,” was Thunder Dan Majerle’s mind set when competing for a slot on the US National Team at the 1988 summer Olympics, and a message about perseverance to startups pursuing their dream and preparing to compete at Venture Madness. Presented by Invest Southwest … Read more

Raising capital is more like a marriage – TIE AZ Roundtable wrap up

Photo contribution from Thomas Hawthorne, co-written with Tishin Donkersley The Tempe Center for the Arts was buzzing as investors, entrepreneurs and TiE AZ members networked and threw back a few cold ones at the TiE AZ Venture Capital Roundtable. The event included a panel of venture capitalists (VCs) from Silicon Valley and the Southwest who shared … Read more