UniversityPhoenix / Scottsdale

ASU ACE Institute

University · Tempe, AZ

American Cybersecurity Education (ACE) Institute. $4.5M DARPA grant to Prof. Yan Shoshitaishvili. Part of Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations (CTF) and Global Security Initiative. Master's degree in cybersecurity starting 2025-26. pwn.college model — train to hack to defend. Directly feeds national security cyber workforce.

Founded

Region

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Investors

People

About Sun Belt

Arizona's semiconductor industry runs deep — Motorola built chips in the Phoenix area for decades, and Intel and TSMC have both since built major fabs in the same Sonoran Desert corridor. Arizona State, one of the largest universities in the country by enrollment, and the University of Arizona anchor a growth-stage venture scene that's easy to overlook next to the older coastal hubs.

Region Stats

Total firms 175

VC / investors 12

Companies 156

Schools 7

Known For

Semiconductors

Growth

Overlooked Venture