Venture Programs
The Arizona Commerce Authority’s Venture Start, Venture Raise and Venture Scale were developed to support startups who are ready to take their business to the next level.
Venture Raise & Venture Scale
To participate in either Venture Raise or Venture Scale, startups must apply to the Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC), the largest business plan competitions in the nation. AIC Semifinalists and Finalists will gain invitations to Venture Raise. AIC awardees will participate and graduate from Venture Scale (previously known as Venture Ready).
Venture Raise is a 12-week accelerator that focuses on funding options, how to pitch to investors, startup financial health and more. The hybrid course is taught through hybrid learning models, virtual webinars and in-person board of advisor deliberations. Following each week's session, founders continue their learning through a series of value-added deliverables meant to be completed weekly. These deliverables allow founders to apply each session’s learnings to refine and further their businesses through design thinking tools, planning documents and investor communication documents. At the end of the program, founders will have a battle-tested KPI dashboard, experiment backlog, financial model, pitch deck and company one-pager.
Venture Scale is a six-month long accelerator that provides founders with customized consultation sessions and deep dives into product-market and scaling. Each founder is paired with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, an entrepreneur who is in the most experienced ranks of the ACA Venture Development Mentorship program. As AIC Awardees and future Venture Scale Alumni, graduating founders have a number of chances to improve their pitch, their team and opportunities to pitch in front of an increasing number of funders.
Venture Start
Venture Start is a virtual introduction to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in Arizona tailored to the needs of early-stage startups. With a streamlined online framework, self-paced course content, and mentorship matching opportunities, Venture Start empowers founders to master the Arizona venture landscape and grow their businesses.
Through rolling submissions, early-stage founders are first matched with an Ecosystem Guide drawn from the ranks of ACA’s elite entrepreneurial mentors. On-demand Learning modules cover topics ranging from understanding your value proposition and defining your problem statement all the way through effective go-to-market strategies and fundraising preparation. Founders will be Invited to Celebrity Watercoolers with high-profile veteran entrepreneurs and to participate in in-person mentor speed-dating. The Venture Start program exists for relatively early-stage tech startup founders and is designed to equip companies with the skills and knowledge to succeed in Arizona and particularly in to support business plan competitions such as the Arizona Innovation Challenge. Applicants should be the CEO and Founder (or Co-Founder) of a startup concerned with a novel technology or unique application at the Ideational or MVP (Minimum Viable Product) stage.
Eligibility
The Venture Start program exists for relatively early-stage tech startup founders. The program is designed to equip companies with the skills and knowledge to succeed in Arizona and particularly in other business plan competitions such as the Arizona Innovation Challenge. Applicants should be the CEO and Founder (or Co-Founder) of a startup concerned with a novel technology or unique application at the Ideational or MVP (Minimum Viable Product) stage.
Application
Interested early-stage founders are required to apply. The application window for the inaugural Venture Start will be announced soon.
Contact
The Arizona Commerce Authority is here to help. Please fill out the form and a member of our Innovation & Entrepreneurship team will be in contact soon.