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

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

What happened in Arizona tech in June? Find out here

Arizona tech

June was another big month for tech in Arizona — everything from partnerships and grants to business milestones and expansions. Arizona Technology Council praises AZ’s 2022 fiscal year budget proposal The Council’s president and CEO Steven G. Zylstra said the proposal includes funding to keep Arizona competitive in tech. The proposed budget includes many of … Read more

Trainual raises $27M Series B to improve platform and increase global expansion

Top Workplaces

Trainual, a SaaS platform designed to help growing businesses standardize policies and processes, has closed a $27 million Series B round, bringing the company’s total funding to $33.75 million. The round was led by Altos Ventures, a major venture capital firm based out of Menlo Park, Calif. Trainual founder and CEO Chris Ronzio said in … Read more

Arizona Technology Council’s Technology Industry Impact Report details job growth, lack of diversity

board members

The Arizona Technology Council released its Q1 2021 Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report, which shows an increase in tech companies, wages and jobs — a continuation from 2020. The report shows tech jobs increased by 3.6%, to 204,161 jobs. Job postings in technology for Q1 have nearly reached the high-water mark set in July 2019. … Read more

Company fundamentally rethinking agriculture expands to Avondale

agriculture

OnePointOne, a Silicon Valley-based agriculture technology startup, is expanding its corporate and vertical farming production facilities to Avondale, which will create more than 70 jobs. OnePointOne is building a technologically-advanced cultivation platform that uses innovations in automation, AI and plant science. Last year, the company launched Willo, a personalized vertical farming platform that’s designed to … Read more

Lessen closes Series A funding round, raises $35 million

lessen

Scottsdale-based Lessen, a marketplace platform that connects property owners to service professionals, announced it closed a $35 million Series A funding round. The Series A was led by Fifth Wall, the largest VC focused on technology for the global real estate industry. Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst and Navitas Capital, who invested in Lessen’s seed round, … Read more

Offerpad announces expansion to four new markets

offerpad

Offerpad, the Chandler-based home selling and buying platform, announced a plan to expand its digital platform and Real Estate Solutions Center to four more markets: Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis; and Columbia, South Carolina. By operating in these new markets, Offerpad will open its operations in over 450 additional cities and towns in … Read more

Arizona broker buys CRE technology, plans to move business to Scottsdale

Arizona broker

The technology behind CRE Simple, a real estate technology startup from Oakland, was purchased by an Arizona real estate broker. Craig Coppola, a founding principal at Lee & Associates Arizona, a commercial real estate brokerage, and his newly-formed Habanero CRE Simple LLC purchased the proprietary source code for CRE Simple’s platform earlier this month. CRE … Read more