Mar 04, 2025
March 4, 2025 (Tucson, Ariz,)— IdeaFunding, co-led by Startup Tucson and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI), has played a significant role in the entrepreneurial landscape for over twenty-seven years and is Southern Arizona’s largest and longest running pitch competition. This year’s competition received the largest number of applications in the history of the event from companies all over Arizona. Over the last two months, 130 early-stage startup companies have received training and participated in several rounds of company pitch presentations to make it to the final competition at IdeaFunding during the TENWEST Impact Festival, presented by the Arizona Commerce Authority.
A total of twenty-five Arizona-based startup companies has advanced and been selected as finalists, five of whom have been designated to compete on the main stage of IdeaFunding on March 27, 2025 presented by Vantage West and HUSTL. Participants in IdeaFunding have undergone extensive training and refined their pitch through two competitive rounds, benefiting from the rigorous mentorship provided by UACI.
Finalists in IdeaFunding will pitch their startups live in front of a live audience at the Rialto Theatre during the TENWEST Festival, competing for over $50,000 in prizes. Twenty-five startups, all from Arizona—including some from the University of Arizona—are divided into four industry verticals: tech, consumer, community building, and fashion. Each category winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize.
Tech A Future Manifest Corp. (Volutia) Palette TAIRY, Inc. PRN Valence Intelligence Systems | Consumer Cryo X Co MTL Bagels Eat Purposefully Mobile Tread and Tire Service |
Community Building AIGM The Sound Post Southern Arizona Film Society Yeet That Teet Thread and Theory | Fashion Kovera Inspire Cooling Experience The Dre Creations LLC Tree + Co. TimberTote LLC |
Of the twenty-five finalists, five companies were selected to pitch on IdeaFunding’s mainstage competing for a grand prize of $15,000, supported by Vantage West, and second place prize of $2,500 in cash, both winning a year of incubation programming and space at UACI valued at an additional $10,000.
The five main stage finalists include:
Ethereal Co: Ethereal Co is the creator of the world’s first sunrise alarm blackout curtain, The SunrAIse. This patented design uses lights integrated into a window covering to help night shift workers sync their circadian rhythm to their schedule with a personal sunrise no matter the time of day.
BreatheEV: BreatheEV is committed to pioneering the future of electric vehicle charging. They provide fully managed EV charging solutions with a reservation system that is more accessible and efficient for residential and commercial properties.
Legion Platforms: Legion Platforms is a web-based company creating 3D online games that are accessible to users with slow computers, poor internet, and devices that can’t handle large downloads. Their in-house developers use cutting-edge technology to push the boundaries in the gaming industry.
Suncliffe: Suncliffe offers an Arizona gin that highlights native botanicals and plant species. Their gin is vapor-infused in custom copper stills and non-chill filtered, resulting in a unique Southwest twist on the classic spirit.
Wrapperoo: Wrapperoo has developed a patented t-shirt hair-drying towel that doubles as a water, heat, and spill-resistant styling cape. This product saves consumers time and stress by gently drying wet hair with less frizz and breakage.
Companies selected to advance as finalists were selected based on merit by local community leaders who served as unbiased judges. The judges include:
Danny Knee, Executive Director, Community Investment Corporation
Gina Catalano, Founder, Venture Solutions
Kameron Norwood, Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR
Tucson is invited to watch the finalists pitch on March 27, 2025 at 7:00pm at the Rialto Theatre as part of IdeaFunding 2025. The IdeaFunding Pitch Competition is part of the larger Entrepreneurship Day of TENWEST that includes educational breakout sessions for entrepreneurs focused on funding, mindset, growth strategies and more. TENWEST is presented by the Arizona Commerce Authority with additional support from Pima Community College and Arizona Arts Live. The Entrepreneurship Day is presented by Vantage West and HUSTL with additional support by Rio Nuevo UA McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, Tech Launch Arizona, UA Venture Capital, Thomas R. Brown Foundations, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, Hecker & Pew PLLC, and Osborn Maledon.
For more information and to purchase tickets to attend TENWEST and IdeaFunding visit: www.tenwest.com.
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About Startup Tucson: Startup Tucson is 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to transform our region’s economy through entrepreneurship and education. Startup Tucson executes this mission by providing education and culture building programs and events to grow a high-impact entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem. You can find information about the organization and upcoming opportunities to engage at www.startuptucson.com. For questions or comments, please reach out to Liz Pocock directly at liz@startuptucson.com
About the UA Center for Innovation: The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is a startup incubator network with outposts across the Southern Arizona region. For two decades, the program has directly served over 300 companies, impacting thousands of entrepreneurs who have attracted $105.8M in capital. This is done by providing access to people, programming, and places that help entrepreneurs take their companies from idea to market. With the mission to fuel the Arizona economy, UACI works to help scale science and tech-based startups under the scope of Tech Parks Arizona creating university-based economic impact. Tech Parks Arizona directs the UA Tech Park, the UA Tech Park at The Bridges and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation.
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