Top 25 semifinalists for Fall 2015 ACA Innovation Challenge announced

Over 131 applicants were considered before the judges narrowed it down to the top 25 semifinalists in the Fall 2015 Arizona Innovation Challenge. Led by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), the Challenge is a bi-annual business plan competition for promising early-stage companies in high-growth industries where early-stage startups vie for a slice of the $1.5 … Read more

The Startup Journal: Getting pre-orders to attract investors

Video contribution by Xavier Smith For startups with capital intensive products, it’s one thing to have your product demoed, used on a trial basis and liked, but once it comes to converting the customer, many enthusiasts won’t pull out the checkbook. In this edition of The Startup Journal, founder Aqwastream, Mare Van Dyke, shares insight … Read more

Launch a business at Startup Weekend Phoenix, kicks off Nov. 20-22

Co-written with Chloe Nordquist Innovators and entrepreneurs of all specialties are invited to attend the Phoenix Startup Weekend November 20-22. For 54 hours, developers, designers, marketers, managers, and entrepreneurs will come together to expand ideas, form teams, and build products with the end goal of launching a startup. Robert Haines, Global Business Development and Partnership … Read more

The Startup Journal: Persevering through tough times

Have you ever thought about giving up? Many founders will face this question when tough times and challenges seem to confront them time and time again and wonder if it will ever get better. However, it’s how a founder reacts to these challenges that makes them push through to build their company.   [youtube]https://youtu.be/YYLL8PnTt1A[/youtube]   SalesFitRx … Read more

Pay for school lunch and field trips in one click with edutech startup Skookii

When it comes to parents paying for their children’s school items, it’s often 5 dollars here for lunch, 10 dollars there for a field trip, and keeping track of it all can be a challenge. One Arizona startup is creating an all-in-one school payment system for parents to manage such school-related items. Skookii, an engaging … Read more

UA startup Codelucida receives $750K grant

Codelucida, a startup company born at the University of Arizona and University of Cergy-Pontoise, France, has been awarded a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research Phase-2 grant from the National Science Foundation.  The Company previously completed a $150,000, six-month Phase-1 grant that made it eligible to apply for the competitive Phase-2 grant. The two-year grant is non-dilutive … Read more

The Startup Journal: Stop the blame game

There will be more good days than challenging days when you build a company. During those challenges, companies will lose productivity if they spend too much time finding fault instead of learning from the experience and move forward. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-lEWODNh9g[/youtube] Tommy Andrews, CEO and Co-founder of Energy Conservation Management, sits down with us in the latest episode … Read more

Buy your gameday tickets on-demand with a text

Football fans around the country will now have the ability to purchase game tickets through a text  using ReplyBuy. ReplyBuy is a mobile commerce platform that allows customers to purchase items through a text message. In October 2014, the company launched their sports and entertainment platform focused on ticket sales for professional and collegiate sports teams and have … Read more

AZCI announces 7 new startups

The Arizona Center for Innovation (AZCI) announced seven new technology startups joining the innovation center. “AzCI programs and facilities have created a dynamic environment that inspires, encourages, and empowers new entrepreneurs, leading to new business growth here in Tucson,” Tech Launch Arizona Vice President David Allen, Ph.D. said. AzCI has a program called Mentored Launch, … Read more

The Startup Journal: Sharing your idea

It’s easy to tell your friends about the exciting venture you’re starting and find out if they’re interested. However, it’s easy to forget that you should also be sharing that with potential clients as well.   [youtube]https://youtu.be/G9BKYWYTEEA[/youtube]   In the latest edition of The Startup Journal, Lisa Morrow, founder of Birdytell, explains how you should … Read more