Arizona Commerce Authority Announces 2024 Arizona Innovation Challenge Awardees

PHOENIX, AZ (December 2, 2024) - The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced today 10 awardees have been selected for the 2024 Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC). The AIC is designed to advance innovation and technology commercialization opportunities in Arizona by helping early-stage ventures scale.

The 10 companies will be added to the Arizona Innovation Challenge portfolio. The 2024 AIC awardees will participate in Venture Scale, Arizona's flagship accelerator program for the state's most promising startups. Venture Scale will provide a customized accelerator experience to directly support specific scaling needs of the startups. Founders will receive coaching from serial entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate leaders, as well as being paired with an entrepreneur in residence for the duration of the program.

The awardees were selected after pitching their startups in-person before a panel of judges including investors and startup support organization leaders on November 20. The 2024 awardees were selected from an initial pool of 130 applicants in August, which were narrowed down to 25 semifinalists in October, and then 15 finalists in November.

"We're incredibly proud to celebrate this year's Arizona Innovation Challenge awardees," said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "This year's awardees represent the extensive talent and ingenuity present in Arizona's startup ecosystem, from biosciences to advanced manufacturing, AI, renewable energy, software, and more. Congratulations to this year's awardees and participants. We look forward to continuing to support this year's AIC participants through Venture Scale,Venture Raise, and Venture Start."

The 2024 Arizona Innovation Challenge awardees are:

Since 2011, 140 startups from over 2,800 applicants have been selected as AIC awardees. Previous AIC Awardees include successful startups like CampusLogic, Paradox, GT Medical Technologies, AlgoFace, botco.ai, and Ampcera.

Finalists and Semifinalists who were not selected as AIC Awardees have been invited to participate in Venture Raise, a 12-week accelerator that focuses on funding options, investor pitching, startup financial health, and more. Venture Start will be targeted toward more early-stage startups, connecting them with mentors to improve their business plans and help them prepare to enter and succeed in business plan competitions such as the Arizona Innovation Challenge.

To learn more about the Arizona Innovation Challenge, please visit azcommerce.com/start-up.

Media Contact

Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About the Arizona Commerce Authority
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, please visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on Twitter @azcommerce.

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