August was a rocky month in terms of world news, but Arizona tech continues to make good progress toward building a solid tech ecosystem. Last month we saw acquisitions, major investments, notable recognition and programs aimed at improving diversity across different fields. Scottsdale entrepreneurs named 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year Trainual founder Chris Ronzio and … Read more
Sion Power, a manufacturer of high-energy, lithium-metal rechargeable batteries, is introducing its Licerion rechargeable electric vehicle battery capable of storing 400 wh/kg, a number that Tesla and other battery companies haven’t yet reached. The Tucson-based company will unveil its 17 Ah Licerion EV cell at The Battery Show North America in Novi, Michigan in September. … Read more
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
Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, the three public state universities, are each a part of the five new National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliances. INCLUDES, or Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science, is the NSF’s initiative to “enhance preparation, increase participation … Read more
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
Aira, a tech startup based in Chandler, has announced a $12 million Series Seed funding round that will help the company continue to pursue its mission to revolutionize wireless charging. The first investor for this round was Motherson Innovations Company Limited, the emerging technologies arm of the Motherson Group, a Tier 1 global automotive supplier … Read more
“What the hell am I going to do there?” That’s what Thinkzilla CEO Velma Trayham said to herself when she started thinking about moving to Phoenix. Trayham had heard from a friend that the Phoenix startup ecosystem was really starting to emphasize the importance of diversity in business. And, well, diversity and inclusion is Trayham’s … Read more
Everyone knows that two eyes are better than one. Images are more precise with both eyes open. Phoenix-based Yakkertech, which is named for an old term “yakker,” describing a big-breaking curveball, took this idea and applied it to cameras watching baseball and softball. Since its founding in 2014, Yakkertech has created a stereo vision imaging … Read more
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
Over the last couple months, you may have heard talk about waiving intellectual property protections of Covid-19 vaccines, in order to allow the manufacturing of these vaccines in other countries. This is a complex issue, so let’s break it down. What is a TRIPS waiver and what would it do? The World Trade Organization (WTO) … Read more