“We’re incredibly excited to be working with the Arizona Commerce Authority and a truly world-class group of founding partners across the semiconductor, aerospace, and mobility industries,” said Saeed Amidi, CEO & Founder of Plug and Play. “This level of engagement is a testament to the ACA’s commitment to bringing business, innovation, and investment to the state and we’re looking forward to accelerating entrepreneurs in Arizona.”

Partners to Plug and Play Arizona will hand-select startups to join their three-month Advanced Manufacturing program. The first batch of the program will focus on startups creating solutions in workforce training, supply chain visibility, predictive maintenance, robotics, and automation. The initial 10-15 startups accepted into this program will be announced later this month.

“Today’s launch event represents a tremendous milestone for Arizona’s innovation ecosystem,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Plug and Play Arizona builds on many years of growth in Arizona’s startup community and will help expand our global footprint. My thanks to Saeed Amidi and Plug and Play for their partnership and to our founding corporate sponsors for their support.”

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential to the economic vitality of Arizona,” said John Otto, Sr. Director, Technology at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “We stand with the Arizona Commerce Authority and Plug and Play as they work to promote a vibrant business ecosystem in our communities.”