Member news: April 2023
Phoenix-based YellowBird raises $6.25 million in oversubscribed seed round
A Phoenix-based software startup that connects companies with environmental, health and safety professionals raised a new round of funding to expand its technology and workforce. YellowBird said it closed a $6.25 million oversubscribed seed funding round led by Rebalance Capital and Manifold Group with participation from QBE, Nationwide’s venture capital team, Plug and Play and Cameron Ventures, among other investors. The company was initially seeking $5 million in funding. Read more >>
High-profile Arizona ethics attorney leaves Jennings Strouss to join Spencer Fane
Scott Rhodes, the former managing partner at Jennings Strauss & Salmon PLC, has joined the Phoenix office of Spencer Fane LLP. Rhodes, who specializes in legal and professional ethics cases, had been with Phoenix-based Jennings Strouss since 1995, and was the firm’s managing partner from 2009 to 2015. Rhodes is the son of former Arizona Congressman John J. Rhodes, who served for three decades in the House of Representatives and retired as House Minority Leader. Read more >>
Glendale Community College names new president after national search
The Maricopa County Community College District has chosen a Texas college administrator to be the next president of Glendale Community College. MCCCD said that after a nationwide search it chose Tiffany Hernandez, a former Arizonan who is currently vice president for student success at San Antonio College, to take the reins at GCC. She will step into her new role on July 10, taking over from Ernie Lara, who has been GCC’s interim president since October. Read more >>
Axon launches new body camera, looks to hire 300 as company ramps up operations
Axon Enterprise Inc. is launching its next-generation body camera and is looking to fill hundreds of jobs as the company ramps up operations. The Scottsdale-based law enforcement technology company on Wednesday released the Axon Body 4, which it says boosts transparency and real-time communication among public safety officials. The Axon Body 4 has a larger field of view from prior models with an option to connect an additional point-of-view camera, allowing for alternative perspectives closely mirroring the officers’ field of vision. Read more >>
TGen, City of Hope, HonorHealth develop more precise method of pancreatic cancer treatment
A trio of premier Southwest biomedical research centers — HonorHealth Research Institute, City of Hope and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope — have developed a more precise method that may help determine when it is best to surgically remove of pancreatic cancer tumors. Surgical removal of the tumor can be a key step in helping extend the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and deadly of all malignancies and the nation’s third leading cause of cancer-related death. Read more >>
ZorroSign’s Shamsh Hadi listed amongst the Middle East top 10 tech CEOs
ZorroSign, Inc., a global leader in data security solutions built on blockchain, today announced CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, has been listed amongst the Middle East’s Top 10 Successful Tech CEOs of the Year for 2023 by Analytics Insight. Mr. Hadi launched ZorroSign in 2015 with a vision to move digital transactions from a trust-based relationship to a truth-based relationship that is immutable like blockchain technology. Read more >>
Terkel guest blog: 12-step checklist for onboarding IT staff
Onboarding new information technology (IT) staff can be difficult and include a lot of steps. Lucky for you, AZTC member Terkel asked 12 founders, CEOs, VPs and HR specialists for a list of suggestions to get started. From completing non-disclosure agreements to scheduling regular check-ins, here are 12 of the most helpful steps to include in a checklist for onboarding IT staff. Read more >>
Maker of blimp-like hybrid-electric cargo airship taps Honeywell Phoenix for generator
Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace will supply power for a blimp-like airship that is expected to handle heavy loads in less accessible areas for a variety of industries. A 1-megawatt generator made by Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) was selected by Flying Whales Quebec — which is based in France and Canada — to be integrated into its new LCA60T hybrid-electric airship that is currently under development. The Flying Whales craft is a 200-meter-long hybrid-electric vehicle able to carry 60 tons of cargo. Read more >>
AWS launches global generative AI accelerator for startups
Building on the new developments around generative AI, AWS is happy to launch the Generative AI Accelerator, a 10-week program designed to take the most promising generative AI startups around the globe to the next level. Generative AI is an exciting field that has the potential to revolutionize many industries. Tech startups will play an important role in bringing this technology into the mainstream. Take the film industry, for example. The visual effects that make heart-pumping action scenes, amazing super heroes, and enthralling new worlds take months of tedious work by hundreds of artists to come to fruition—adding up numerous hours in post-production time and using millions of dollars in production budget. Read more >>
ZorroSign achieves PCI DSS certification
Adding to ZorroSign’s long list of privacy and security compliance certifications, they are proud to announce their data security platform built on blockchain has recently been certified as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant. Specifically, through their “policies, procedures, and technical systems that store, process and/or transmit cardholder data, Zorrosign has performed the required procedures to validate compliance with the PCI DSS, the best practices designed to protect merchants and consumers from data security breaches and fraud.” Read more >>
As Intel’s Chandler expansion progresses, Sen. Mark Kelly says company should have ‘competitive application’ for CHIPS Act incentives
Intel Corp.’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler was buzzing with activity Wednesday as construction workers transported materials and cranes hoisted steel trusses onto buildings that will soon become the company’s newest semiconductor factories. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly was onsite to view construction progress of the two factories — Fab 52 and Fab 62 — a $20 billion project that broke ground in 2021 and is expected to spur creation of more than 3,000 high-paying tech jobs. Read more >>
Phoenix GateWay Community College names new president
After serving for more than two years as GateWay Community College’s interim president, Amy Diaz has been given the permanent job. GateWay and the Maricopa County Community College District announced Diaz would take the role as GWCC president after having conducted a nationwide search to fill the post. She will take office on April 15. Diaz is the school’s first permanent president in three years. She stepped into the interim role on the first day of 2021, when she took over for Maria Wise, who retired while also serving as interim president. Read more >>
Perkins Coie to move offices from midtown to smaller Camelback Corridor space
Global law firm Perkins Coie is bolstering its local office footprint. Perkins Coie recently inked a 30,000-square-foot lease at Building II at the Esplanade campus in Phoenix’s Camelback Corridor at 2525 E. Camelback Road. The firm will be moving from its midtown office at Phoenix Plaza at 2901 N. Central Ave., downsizing from about 87,000 square feet. “It has premier status,” said Todd Kerr, office managing partner of Perkins Coie of the Esplanade. Read more >>
American Express and other small business grants you can apply for right now
American Express has launched a new round of its Backing Small Business grant program — and intends to hand out $2.3 million to small businesses. The grant program, in partnership with Main Street America, means small business owners can apply for $5,000 grants to cover costs such as marketing expenses, capital implements and physical and technological upgrades. The program will choose 350 small businesses, with the grants being announced June 2023. Read more >>
Raytheon gets $619 million U.S. Navy contract for SPY-6 radars
Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $619 million contract to continue to produce AN/SPY-6(V) radars for the U.S. Navy. This is the second option exercised from the March 2022 hardware, production and sustainment contract that is valued up to $3 billion over five years. “SPY-6 is the most advanced naval radar in the world providing unprecedented integrated air and missile defense capabilities,” said Kim Ernzen, president of Naval Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. Read more >>
Google Fiber turns on internet service in first Valley city
Google Fiber is live in Mesa. And it’s the first Arizona city to get access to the gigabit internet service. The company announced that a first wave of Mesa residents can sign up for the internet service beginning March 30, with the service starting in the Westwood area. For the latest information on the build-out process and the neighborhoods available, click here. According to an announcement, most of the city of Mesa will have access to Google Fiber over the next three years. Read more >>
With a projected impact of $108 billion over the next 3 decades, UA Tech Park’s growth can’t be understated
The UA Tech Park is projected to have a $108 billion economic impact over the next three decades. With an annual economic impact of $2 billion, UA Tech Park has served as a driver in the growth of Tucson’s economy for more than 25 years. “They’ve done such an amazing job at providing the resources these entrepreneurs need to build their companies,” said Michael Guymon, president and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber. “Obviously, in the hopes that they stay.” With over 100 companies and more than 6,000 workers, Tech Park is one of the largest employment hubs in the region. Read more >>
Raytheon nabs more advanced weapon contracts, including one with Northrup Grumman
A collaboration between Arizona defense manufacturing giants Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Northrop Grumman will develop a vital system for a new precision missile after the U.S. Army gave the two companies a $97.7 million contract. That contract, announced this week, comes shortly after Raytheon (NYSE: RTX) said it was awarded a $320.3 million contract to produce a next-generation smart weapon — called the StormBreaker — that will be able to operate in severe weather conditions. Read more >>
March 2023 TechCast | Optics Valley: The state of Arizona’s optics industry
The March 2023 episode of AZTechCast featured experts including Dr. Jennifer Barton, director of the BIO5 Institute at The University of Arizona; Gregory Quarles, CEO and president of Applied Energetics, Inc.; and Katie Schwertz, design engineering manager at Edmund Optics. These leaders joined Bianca Buliga, director of marketing and communications at the Arizona Technology Council, and Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, in discussing why Arizona attracts optics companies, how these companies are supported and what Arizona and the U.S. can do to maintain industry leadership. Read more >>