UniversityPhoenix / Scottsdale

Arizona State University

University · Tempe, AZ

Michael Crow (President since 2002, IQT Board Trustee) transformed ASU into #1 innovation university (US News, 7 consecutive years). $992M research portfolio (2024). 33,000+ engineering students, 600 faculty (Ira A. Fulton Schools — largest engineering school in US). Selected as home of CHIPS Act National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) + Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility — largest CHIPS R&D investment. Ira Fulton Schools, Biodesign Institute, Knowledge Enterprise.Key Western US nexus node for Osparna.

Founded

Region

Phoenix / Scottsdale

Investors

CHIPS Act

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 174

VC / investors 12

Companies 155

Universities 7

Known For

Semiconductors

Growth

Overlooked Venture