ARIZONA – Plug and Play accelerateAZ held an advanced manufacturing expo in Phoenix, Arizona. The event featured presentations from 13 Arizona-based startups to be considered for batch 2 of the advanced manufacturing accelerator program.
At the event, Plug and Play and the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced the official name of the joint initiative. Program founder and CEO Saeed Amidi; Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority; and Jon Hobgood, vice president of Supplier Readiness for Honeywell Aerospace, joined Plug and Play, innovation, industry and community leaders at the Expo to highlight Arizona’s vibrant startup ecosystem.
“This initiative helps accelerate the growth of startups, foster relationships and boost Arizona’s innovation ecosystem. Our advanced manufacturing program has already demonstrated remarkable success, and we are excited about future collaborations and opportunities here. Our journey has only just begun, and the best is yet to come,” stated Saeed Amidi.
Following the Plug and Play Arizona launch event in April, 14 startups were selected to participate in the first batch of the three-month Advanced Manufacturing Accelerator program. The startups in Batch 1 are: Arkestro, Basetwo AI, Darvis, Denim, Duality, Gig and Take, Industrial Next, Flexiv Robotics, Makini, Molg AI, Real Items, ThroughPut, Ventory and YellowBird. The startups focused on creating solutions in workforce training, supply chain visibility, predictive maintenance, robotics and automation.
“We are thrilled to announce Plug and Play accelerateAZ and showcase Arizona’s vibrant startup community at the Advanced Manufacturing Expo,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority.
The Expo also included a Startup Panel featuring Batch 1 companies talking about how to navigate scalability and corporate engagement to support their business goals. The Advanced Manufacturing Expo was supported by founding partners announced earlier this year – Intel, Honeywell Aerospace and Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform that conducts programs in more than 50 locations around the world. The Arizona office brings together stakeholders from across the state who want to bring innovation to the forefront of their business. The program works with different partners to find the most relevant startups to solve problems in a specific industry. The first phase focused on advanced manufacturing and included topics related to supply chain, mobility and the Internet of Things.
In March 2023, it was announced that Arizona had been chosen for its new location due to its strong startup community, leading companies in specific sectors and close collaboration between startups, industry, government and education that fosters innovation and future growth.
Startups selected in this second batch will undergo a three-month program and complete a curriculum focused on business development, strategic growth and networking. Together with the ACA, Plug and Play will support these startups with connections to their ecosystem and potential capital.
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