Resources for Entrepreneurs

With a rapidly growing bioscience ecosystem and unmatched opportunity to collaborate, Arizona is a great place to launch a bio startup.

But even here, entrepreneurs need all the help they can get.

Below, you’ll find support to go further, faster, on the path to commercialization—whether you’re forming your first company or you’re a seasoned CEO.

  • Networking

    Arizona Bioscience Industry Organization (AZBio) | Trade association supporting and advocating for Arizona bioscience companies.

    Arizona Technology Council | Trade association supporting and advocating for Arizona technology companies.

    AZBio LinkedIn Group | Open to all, facilitating discussion among AZBio members and the broader Arizona bioscience community.

    BioIndustry Organization of Southern Arizona (BIOSA) | Representing bioscience firms in southern Arizona.

    Next Tucson | Works to strengthen Tucson by catalyzing a city-wide culture of civic action through innovation and entrepreneurship.

    1 Million Cups Phoenix | A weekly event bringing the Phoenix entrepreneurship community together over coffee and conversation.

    StartupAZ Foundation | Helping Arizona startups improve leadership, performance, and connections.

    Startup Grind – Phoenix | Chapter of the nation’s largest independent startup community, involving 2 million+ entrepreneurs.

    Startup Tucson | Offering networking and entrepreneurial education events on weekly, monthly, and quarterly cycles.

    Women Who Startup Basecamp | Monthly networking opportunities and events for female entrepreneurs and innovators (metro Phoenix).

    #YesPhx Startup Community | Resources, events, and community networking in metro Phoenix.

  • Mentorship

    Arizona Small Business Association  | Provides resources for businesses of all sizes with fewer than 500 employees, including education and mentoring opportunities, professional connections, and support resources through strategic partners.

    HustlePHX | An initiative helping business leaders and entrepreneurs in underserved urban communities striving for the common good.

    SCORE Greater Phoenix | Network of volunteer, expert business mentors who provide free guidance to entrepreneurs. Supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Venture Devils | Supporting ASU students, faculty, staff, and community-based entrepreneurs by connecting them with Venture Mentors.

  • Financing

    Arizona Angel Tax Credit Information | Information on a tax credit for investors designed to expand early-stage investment in Arizona small businesses.

    Arizona R&D Tax Credit Information | Information on a tax credit to incent increased research and development activities conducted in Arizona and at the state universities.

    Arizona Tech Investors | Arizona-based investors supporting capital needs of early stage high growth technology driven companies within Arizona.

    BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners | Corporate venture fund program investing in promising emerging companies of strategic relevance to Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans.

    Bluestone Venture Partners | Tucson-based life-sciences venture capital fund focused on companies in southwestern U.S.

    Canyon Angels | Nonprofit affiliated with Grand Canyon University focused on funding highly scalable startups.

    Desert Angels | Angel investment group located in Tucson.

    Golden Seeds | Arizona chapter of national group of investors funding women-led businesses.

    Grayhawk Capital | Provides venture capital to early-and growth-stage companies, including those in healthcare IT.

    Invest Southwest  | Helps startups raise capital while also connecting investors with the best and brightest ventures in the region.

    invisionAZ | Phoenix-based investment fund to help grow Arizona-based technology startups.

    Silicon Valley Bank | Banking services for startups of every stage.

    UAVenture Capital| Venture capital fund designed to commercialize University of Arizona science, technology, services, and products.

    Western Alliance Bank Corp – Life Sciences | Seasoned lenders who have years of experience working with various types of life sciences companies in all stages of development.

  • Government Services & Support

    Arizona Commerce Authority | State’s leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy. Offers answers and tools to help startups navigate the many stages of their business.

    Arizona Corporation Commission | This state agency registers your corporation or LLC.

    Arizona Small Business Development Centers  | Provides one-on-one confidential evaluation and guidance by dedicated Business Advisors with business ownership and management experience to help fast-track business plans and position a business for success.

    Arizona Step Grant | AZSTEP assists Arizona small businesses enter export markets for the first time or expand into new markets.

    City of Phoenix Entrepreneur Resources | Links to services and resources available in the City of Phoenix.

    EmergeAZ Fast Grant | Offering financial support to the state’s startups including firms with emerging technologies designed to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Internal Revenue Service | This federal agency issues Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your new business.

    Small Business Administration | The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.

    Small Business Administration – AZ Office | Provides resources, education and events for entrepreneurs and small businesses

    U.S. Copyright Office  | This federal agency is responsible for registering copyrights, which are original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible form, whether published or unpublished.

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office | This federal agency is responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.

  • Funding Competitions

    Arizona Innovation Challenge | Grants up to 10 awardees up to $150,000, enrollment in the ACA’s mentor-led accelerator, Venture Ready, and exposure to investors, business executives and startup CEOs and media; offered in fall and spring.

    Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program  | Helps early-stage firms develop into successful and sustainable businesses through grant and services.

    Idea Funding Pitch Competition | Arizona’s second-largest pitch competition giving more than $100,000 of non-dilutive funds and services to startups each year.

    Unmet Conference | Conference designed to attract and coalesce investment in companies located in under-served regions, structured to enable networking with investors and peers to foster development and collaboration.

    Venture Madness | Arizona Commerce Authority and Invest Southwest live pitch contest.

  • University Tech Commercialization

    UA Tech Launch Arizona | A resource for commercializing UA-created knowledge and bringing the University’s inventions to the public for economic and social benefit. Works to bring the faculty, administration, students and alumni of the University of Arizona, its tech parks, and the technology and business community together to significantly enhance the impact of UA research, intellectual property (IP) and technological innovation.

    NAU Innovations | Facilitates the transfer of inventions generated through NAU research to the private sector, transforming discoveries into solutions that have local and global impact. Partners with top science and technology companies in Arizona and beyond, licensing patent rights for commercial development and sale.

    SkySong – ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center | Offers opportunities for companies whose business objectives would benefit from a strong connection with ASU entrepreneurial and research-based initiatives in diverse markets, including IT, education and health care.

  • Incubators & Co-Working

    ASU HEALab | First-ever accelerator for students, faculty, and the community at ASU to launch initiatives that focus entirely on health and healthcare solutions.

    ASU Mayo MedTech Accelerator: Provides medical device and healthcare IT early stage companies with personalized business development plans to collaborate with Mayo Clinic and ASU and accelerate go-to-market and investment opportunities.

    AZ CoWork | Co-working space in Scottsdale.

    AZ Disruptors | Incubator services for software companies.

    AZ TechCelerator | Business incubator in the city of Surprise for technology and bioscience firms.

    Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation | Full-service business incubator that houses a vibrant community of entrepreneurs who are working on industry-changing technologies.

    Chandler Innovations | An entrepreneur incubation development program sponsored by the City of Chandler and powered by Moonshot at NACET.  Offers community events open to all entrepreneurs and signature cohort-style incubator programs for new and growing tech-based Chandler businesses.

    City of Mesa LaunchPoint | Mesa’s Technology Accelerator provides entrepreneurs and small companies flexible space, business development assistance, and networking and training opportunities. 

    Click CO+WORK | Co-working space in Flagstaff.

    Co+Hoots Startup Community | Co-working space in Phoenix.

    CoPlex Co-Working | Co-working space in Phoenix.

    The Department | Co-working space in downtown Phoenix.

    Founder Institute Tucson | Tucson chapter of world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator.

    Galvanize Phoenix | Co-working space in Phoenix.

    Gangplank Coworking Space | Co-working space in Chandler.

    The Grid.Works | Co-working space in uptown Phoenix.

    Moonshot by NACET | Full-service business incubator that helps entrepreneurs start and scale companies.

    Oro Valley Innovation Labs | A full-service incubator focused on the generation and success of life science technology companies by integrating the efforts of academic and anchor industry partners.

    SeedSpot Incubator | Offers programs for adult and youth entrepreneurs and provides access to resources, mentors, business fundamentals, capital sources, and community partners they need to succeed.

    The Armory Incubator | Incubator services for veteran-owned businesses.

    The Nest Coworking Space | Co-working space in Flagstaff.

    UA Center for Innovation | Full-service business incubator that fosters technology start-ups, emerging and mature companies develop their ideas, inventions and next evolution of product.

    Uptown Offices | Co-working space in Flagstaff.

    WeWork Coworking Space | Co-working space in Phoenix.

  • Infrastructure

    Arizona State University Core Facilities | Provides state-of-the-art equipment, specialized services and expert consultation and training.

    Barrow Neurological Institute Core Facilities | Provides a centralized facility for biostatistical consultation.

    Northern Arizona University Core Facilities | Provides state-of-the-art equipment, specialized services and expert consultation and training.

    TGen Shared Resources & Services | Offers a variety of resources developed and staffed to meet researchers’ needs for specialized equipment, services or expert consultation.

    University of Arizona Core Facilities | Provides state-of-the-art equipment, specialized services and expert consultation and training.

  • Business Services

    Alliance Insurance of Arizona | Provides insurance for businesses.

    Booth Udall Fuller | Intellectual Property attorneys specializing in bioscience companies and organizations.

    CHUBB Insurance | Provides insurance for businesses.

    Legal Aid of Arizona | Provides free legal help for startups.

    Perkins Coie | Provides limited free legal service for startups.

    Regus | Real-estate firm specializing in life science office spaces.

  • Events

    AZBio Events Calendar | Arizona bioscience events

    BIOSA | Southern Arizona biosciences events

    International Research Center | Monthly digest of Arizona life-science/tech events (Request email subscription).

    Phoenix Startup Week | A six-day event providing education, connection, and support to entrepreneurs. Includes over 50 sessions, daily happy hours and countless networking opportunities.

    TENWEST Impact Festival | A ten-day festival in Tucson that helps the curious and the impassioned solve the great challenges facing the community by inspiring ideas and facilitating connections that empower them to act. Includes day dedicated to entrepreneurs—IdeaFunding.

  • Other Resource Directories

    Arizona Commerce Authority Resource Directory | Resources for startups in Arizona.

    AZ Chamber of Commerce Resources | Resources for startups in Arizona.

    AzTechBase | Companies, people, and investors involved in Arizona’s technology sector.

    Find My Legislator | Find out who your legislator is.

    Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) | Working to attract and grow quality businesses and advocate for the competitiveness of Greater Phoenix.

    HUUB | A free digital platform by Co+Hoots connecting entrepreneurs to people, funding, knowledge and opportunities.

    Jumpstart, Inc. – Entrepreneur Toolkit | Resources for startups nationally.

    Local First Arizona | Local First Arizona supports, promotes, and advocates for a strong local business community and raises public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by strong local economies.

    Phoenix Public Library Hive Resource Center | Resources for startups in Arizona.

    Pima Public Library Startup Resources | Resources for startups in southern Arizona.

    SBA Small Business Resource Guide | Resources for startups nationally.

    Tucson Startup Ecosystem Guide | A guide to the organizations and groups in southern Arizona and beyond that support Tucson startups.