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Startups thrive in
Greater Phoenix
A top national hub for startups
Greater Phoenix is a top market in the nation to locate, relocate, or expand your business operations. In fact, the region’s startup sector is one of the largest in the nation.
Contents
Overview
Greater Phoenix is exceptionally positioned to absorb both new-to-market and the expansion of existing startup companies.
Value Proposition
Greater Phoenix has a substantial cluster of startups with a strong community that provides mentorship, peer support and funding opportunities. The Greater Phoenix ecosystem is made up of homegrown companies and startups expanding into the region.
Greater Phoenix offers a vast network of industry support, mentorship opportunities and access to capital. The Valley offers robust options for varied workspace needs such as coworking spaces, incubators and accelerators to help startups grow.
Specialized training programs are offered at universities and community colleges across the state of Arizona. Greater Phoenix offers university alignment and partnerships to create job-ready students. The number of coding schools and bootcamps continues to grow year-over-year in Phoenix.
Greater Phoenix offers a significantly lower cost of living compared to competitive markets. The valley offers an abundance of craft breweries and coffee houses throughout the region. Phoenix has more than 300 days of sunshine annually, making it the perfect location for outdoor fun and exploration.
Greater Phoenix offers startups more affordable real estate and benefit costs compared to peer markets. The state also offers several quality incentives and programs to further decrease operating costs.
Talent Pipeline
Startups located in Greater Phoenix can feel confident knowing that Arizona offers exceptional education programs through a number of different universities, community colleges and technical schools with programs built to help support specific industries in the valley.
Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona each have a full range of business, healthcare, engineering and computer-related programs. University alignment is a key component of Arizona’s economic development and expansion. Universities, community colleges and technical schools continue to grow their educational offerings to help support the startup community in Greater Phoenix.
Nationally Recognized Programs to Support the Startup Industry in Phoenix



Arizona State University
- #1 Most innovative school (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), U.S.
News & World Report - #6 Online graduate business programs, U.S. News & World Report
- #2 Online bachelor’s degree programs, U.S. News & World Report
- #6 Online MBA program, U.S. News & World Report
- #5 Best-qualified graduates, The Wall Street Journal
- #25 Global universities, economics/business, U.S. News & World Report
University of Arizona
- #4 Undergraduate management information system program, U.S. News
& World Report - #3 Graduate information systems program, U.S. News & World Report
- #4 Online graduate computer information technology program
- #12 Entrepreneurship program, U.S. News & World Report
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is a private Christian university committed to training
the next generation of working professionals. The university’s Canyon
Ventures is a business accelerator with over 30 startups working out of the
space. The university offers programs in the following areas:
- Business and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- Medical Studies and Sciences
Industry Ecosystem
Startups thrive in Greater Phoenix. Greater Phoenix’s business environment makes it the ideal place for businesses to start and grow.
With support coming from all angles, startups in the region are given the chance to grow and expand their business. No matter the industry, startups from across the country are relocating to and expanding in Greater Phoenix.
Below are just a few of the startups that have expanded their footprint here and found success in the Valley.



Labor Analysis
Greater Phoenix is home to a large and diverse supply of talent making it the perfect location for startups in any industry.
Greater Phoenix offers competitive numbers for talent in all industries compared to peer markets. The table below shows the number of jobs in each occupation category for Phoenix, Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. As you can see, Phoenix’s supply of talent far surpasses most other markets in all industries.
Occupation | Phoenix | Atlanta | Austin | Denver | Los Angeles | Salt Lake City |
Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers | 14,043 | 21,430 | 5,870 | 7,616 | 47,323 | 5,485 |
Operations Specialties Managers | 33,256 | 47,070 | 16,415 | 17,417 | 101,781 | 13,890 |
Business Operations Specialists | 92,668 | 124,963 | 46,902 | 95,946 | 262,946 | 33,437 |
Financial Specialists | 45,732 | 65,559 | 25,955 | 45,002 | 127,273 | 18,167 |
Computer Occupations | 75,765 | 119,046 | 62,228 | 80,241 | 166,238 | 33,051 |
Mathematical Science Occupations | 3,465 | 4,787 | 2,176 | 2,141 | 6,453 | 1,979 |
Engineers | 22,536 | 29,287 | 17,031 | 26,225 | 74,516 | 8,815 |
Drafters, Engineering Technicians, and Mapping Technicians | 13,633 | 8,774 | 7,297 | 7,698 | 27,522 | 5,084 |
Life Scientists | 1,779 | 4,252 | 2,179 | 2,323 | 12,965 | 1,873 |
Physical Scientists | 1,797 | 3,120 | 2,717 | 4,491 | 8,856 | 1,615 |
Competitive Operating Costs
Startups in Greater Phoenix can benefit from real estate rates that are far more affordable and competitive with peer markets.
Low Real Estate Costs For Startups, Relocation, or Expansion in Phoenix
Greater Phoenix’s affordable and competitive real estate rates beat out peer markets. The table below shows office and industrial lease rates in the following regions.
Tax Incentives for Startups in Phoenix
Even with the highly competitive tax environment in Greater Phoenix and Arizona, there are several tax incentives that can be utilized to mitigate operating costs. The list below includes the most relevant to the A&D industry and is not a comprehensive list of all incentives available within the state of Arizona. Additionally, it should be noted that this document is only a guide for potential incentives. Actual incentives will depend on project parameters and varying program qualifications and requirements as determined by the Arizona Commerce Authority. The Quality Jobs Tax Credit program awards $9,000 of tax credits over three years for qualifying companies. The chart below highlights the minimum qualifying capital expenditure and wage rate in an urban area, while the texts describe additional program parameters.
- $9,000 corporate income tax credit per job ($3,000/employee/year)
- Capped at 10,000 jobs per year
- Employer must offer to pay at least 65% of employee health insurance premium
Lifestyle and Livability
With over 300 days of sunshine, Greater Phoenix offers an environment perfect for those who love to explore the great outdoors with hundreds of parks and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and walking trails.
A Life Worth Living
Greater Phoenix is home to an exciting and diverse music scene that includes some of the nation’s iconic events and boasts a culture all its own. The craft beer and coffee scene is creative, dynamic, and growing into one of the unique offerings that set the valley apart. Living in Greater Phoenix gives locals the opportunity to experience new and exciting things on a daily basis while also offering an extremely low cost of living compared to peer markets.
Greater Phoenix is more affordable for companies and the people that make them successful. Across all major buckets of expenses, Greater Phoenix is less expensive than almost all peer markets.
Want to see a full list of companies in Greater Phoenix? Download the complete report.