Keap’s IKON is back: Co-founders Clate Mask and Scott Martineau really want to help you grow your small business

keap, a sales and automation platform designed to help grow your small business, resumed its annual IKON conference with a motivational — and vulnerable — opening keynote from co-founders Clate Mask and Scott Martineau. The keynote was delivered to a crowd of about 200 people, which is significantly less than attendance numbers in the past. … Read more

Arizona named #2 for Best Business Climate of large cities and in top 10 of several other categories

July

There’s been a lot of bad news this week, both nationally and internationally. Let’s start the week on a positive note: Arizona has landed in the top ten in several categories on the Business Facilities 2021 state rankings report, including #2 for Best Business Climate of large cities. Business Facilities is a media brand that … Read more

Facebook announces $800M solar-powered data center in Mesa

Facebook announced today it will build a $800 million solar-powered data center on the old GM proving grounds in Mesa.  According to Facebook, the data center will be powered completely by solar power. It will also add 450 megawatts per year to the city’s solar grid.  The massive data center will bring around 100 high-paying … Read more

KOAM opens facility in Phoenix, first on West Coast

KOAM

KOAM, a total logistics solution company for automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), opened its Phoenix facility this week, the company’s first on the West Coast. The company’s relationship with Lucid Motors and the expansion of other EV companies to the Phoenix area, like Nikola, ElectraMeccanica and Atlis, made Phoenix the ideal location for KOAM. “KOAM … Read more

July roundup: Arizona tech stayed hot in the heat of the summer

July

July proved to be another big month for Arizona tech, with local companies raising millions, out-of-towners relocating to the Valley, and plenty of events and cohorts popping up to support startups. This month, we put a spotlight on diversity and talked to leaders from around Phoenix to give founders tips on how to diversify your … Read more

KORE Power to build $500 million manufacturing facility in Buckeye

In May, KORE Power had three possible suitors for a manufacturing facility for its lithium-ion battery cells: Arizona, Florida and Texas. Today, the company made its final decision. “At the end of the day, we selected Arizona,” KORE Power CEO Lindsay Gorrill said.  The facility will be built in Buckeye, near MC 85 and Interstate … Read more

UArizona sees increase in innovation, including new tool to understand the brain

increase in innovation

Even amidst the chaos and slowdowns of the pandemic, the University of Arizona saw an increase in innovation. Here’s a recent example: engineering researchers at UArizona are creating new tools for optogenetics, which shines light at specific neurons in the brain to excite or suppress activity. Optogenetics experiments help to understand how the brain works, … Read more

Arizona ranked no. 3 in country for job recovery

recovery

We probably sound like a broken record at this point, but Arizona is doing really well in economic recovery coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s another report that proves it. Arizona is number 3 in the country for job recovery, according to a report from the Arizona Commerce Authority. The state’s job recovery rate … Read more

So you want more diversity in your startup. Here’s how you can get it

tech

Conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion are happening everywhere — on social media, in our communities and in our businesses. These are important discussions to have, especially in Arizona, where there’s a clear lack of diversity in the tech ecosystem here. Thankfully, companies and people around the Valley are working to prioritize diversity, equity and … Read more

Looking for a job in tech? Here’s a list of tech startups hiring this year

You no longer need to move to Silicon Valley to have a successful career in tech. Arizona’s tech ecosystem is growing fast. Arizona tech startups are announcing raises, major semiconductor and EV companies are expanding here and local capital is increasing. Arizona’s tech sector even continued its rapid growth during the pandemic, ranking eighth in … Read more