ARIZONA COMMERCE AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES AWARDEES FOR THE 2021 ARIZONA INNOVATION CHALLENGE
Of the ten awardees, five are bio & life science companies: Navi Nurses, ReSuture, SaiOx Inc., TapRoot Interventions & Solutions, and The Patient Company
PHOENIX, AZ (December 1, 2021) — The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced today 10 companies have been selected as Awardees for the 2021 Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC).
The 10 companies will be added to the Arizona Innovation Challenge portfolio and participate in the ACA’s Venture Ready Accelerator, connecting companies with serial entrepreneurs, high-level executives, and subject matter experts. Participants will complete a series of panels and workshops over the next 12 months. The Accelerator helps startups refine their business plans, improve go-to-market execution strategies and increase investor readiness.
The AIC is designed to advance innovation and technology commercialization opportunities in Arizona by helping early-stage ventures scale. Since 2011, the ACA has selected 120 AIC awardees from over 2,000 applicants. Previous AIC Awardees including CampusLogic, eVisit, Paradox, Trainual, AdviNOW Medical, botco.ai, RexPay and EnPower have earned national recognition for their work and are an integral part of the state’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“The 2021 AIC Awardees demonstrate the strength of Arizona’s entrepreneurial community,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “From a pool of more than 100 applicants, these 10 companies captured the judges’ attention with their dynamic ideas solving tomorrow’s challenges. Congratulations to all the awardees and we look forward to their continued success as they participate in the ACA’s Venture Ready Accelerator.”
The 2021 Arizona Innovation Challenge awardees are:
| Company | Industry | Location |
| Ampcera Inc | Advanced Materials | Tucson, AZ |
| Better Agency, Inc | IT – Software | Mesa, AZ |
| Bluetail, Inc. | IT – Software | Phoenix, AZ |
| Dorm Room Movers | IT– Software | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Navi Nurses | Bio & Life Sciences | Phoenix, AZ |
| ReSuture | Bio & Life Sciences | Surprise, AZ |
| SaiOx Inc. | Bio & Life Sciences | Tucson, AZ |
| TapRoot Interventions & Solutions | Bio & Life Sciences | Tucson, AZ |
| The Patient Company | Bio & Life Sciences | Scottsdale, AZ |
| VIVAHR | IT – Software | Phoenix, AZ |
The 10 awardees were selected by judges after pitching their startups in-person before a panel of investors on November 17.
Now that the judging rounds are complete, participants will have an opportunity to receive a consultation with the ACA to discuss their application and other potential resources available to help improve their business plans.
To learn more about the 2021 AIC Awardees, click HERE.
Media Contact
Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, AlyssaT@AZCommerce.com
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.