Future of Tech Commission holds Arizona town hall on internet equity, access

future of tech commission

A public discussion hosted by the Future of Tech Commission last week focused on one of the biggest issues facing Arizona right now: internet equity. The Covid-19 pandemic shined a thousand lights on digital equity and access. Rural schools, especially, faced major challenges while attempting to teach online during the pandemic.  Connect Arizona reports that … Read more

Trainual earns top ranking for small companies in AZCentral’s 2021 Top Workplaces

Top Workplaces

Trainual, the Scottsdale-based SaaS company that changes the way small businesses onboard and train new hires, was named a top workplace in Arizona by AZCentral. Trainual ranked no. 1 in the small company category, in part due to its commitment to build an exceptional workplace, culture and employee experience. Over the last year, the company … Read more

ASU biomechanics professor addressing fall prevention through new partnership

biomechanics professor

Thurmon Lockhart, a biomechanics professor at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, hopes to predict and prevent dangerous falls, especially in older populations or those recovering from orthopedic surgeries. Lockhart was recently named the first Musculoskeletal Orthopedic Research and Education, or MORE, Foundation Professor of Life in Motion, which will help him … Read more

UArizona-led team receives $3M grant to use your Apple Watch to change healthcare forever

A multi-institution team led by faculty of the University of Arizona School of Engineering has received a $3 million grant to dramatically transform the healthcare system as we know it.  The effort is led by Janet Roveda, UArizona electrical and computer engineering professor who has done research in a number of areas and is also … Read more

GCU grad bringing Tesla battery technology to … longboards

longboards

We know techies love electric cars, but have you ever considered electric longboards? What if you found out you could hit 30 miles per hour? Westin Smith, the founder of Lux Longboards, is making all your kid dreams a reality.  Many entrepreneurs’ ideas stem from a problem to solve. In Smith’s case, he was an … 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

Major Edtech company Transact Campus appoints new CEO

Transact Campus, Inc. (Transact), an edtech company that enables educational institutions to offer user-friendly payment transactions connected across an entire campus, has announced the appointment of Nancy Langer as the company’s new CEO.  As CEO, Langer will oversee Transact’s campus commerce technology, as well as the company’s huge ecosystem of integrated payments and ID solutions. … Read more

Scottsdale-based Symmetry to be acquired by $3.8 billion fintech startup Gusto

gusto

Gusto, a cloud-based HR management software, just announced plans to acquire Arizona-based tax-software company Symmetry. This is the $3.8 billion fintech startup’s second acquisition this summer. The deal, which is expected to close later this month, is meant to allow Gusto to build out its existing small business-focused software. Symmetry is used by employers including … 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