Arizona Tech Investors

What Arizona Tech Investors does

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based angel investment group organized as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association and founded in 2007. The organization pools capital from 98 accredited investor members (as of March 2025) to make early-stage investments in U.S. technology startups, deploying via Special Purpose Vehicles (LLCs) so that members can participate with minimums as low as $5,000 per deal while presenting as a single cap-table line. ATI runs a six-stage screening process — application, screening committee, pitch to general membership, deep-dive Q&A, due diligence, and SPV formation — and reviews approximately 1,200 startup inquiries per year, inviting fewer than 30 to present. Its 45-company live portfolio spans SaaS/software (25%), Medtech (20%), Marketplaces (9%), Hardware (9%), Therapeutics (7%), and other (20%), with preferred-stock and convertible-note term-sheet templates that prioritize being last money in, with lead-investor capability used selectively.

Revenue flows from two streams: recurring annual membership dues of $1,750 (in-state) or $1,500 (out-of-state virtual), and a 5% carried interest on successful SPV exits above returned capital. ATI partners with the University of Arizona Center for Innovation, Flinn Foundation, Xcellerant Ventures, Brookstone Venture Capital, AVC, Osborn Maledon, and the City of Phoenix, among others, for deal flow and member recruitment. Documented outcomes include the September 2024 exit of Virtuous Software (13.6x return, 56% IRR over 5.4 years, 1202 SBQS qualified) and a zero-return loss on Aural Analytics in April 2024 following a prepackaged bankruptcy — illustrating both sides of the expected 25–30% IRR target against an underlying ~70% startup failure rate.

Name

Arizona Tech Investors

Legal name

Arizona Tech Investors

Website

https://arizonatechinvestors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(6) angel investment group, founded in 2007, that pools capital from 98 accredited investor members to make early-stage investments in U.S. technology startups via SPV-structured rounds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investing

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Angel investment group
• Seed stage funding
• Startup capital networks
• Venture capital services
• Early stage investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ATI generates revenue through annual membership dues of $1,750 per year for single or couple membership (in-state) and $1,500 per year for out-of-state (virtual) members. Membership dues support the organization's operational costs, screening activities, and member services.
2. Carried Interest (SPV Performance Fees): When an SPV (LLC) investment is successful, the operating manager earns a 5% carried interest above returned capital to cover formation documents, updates, K-1s, and structural changes. No upfront SPV fees are currently charged, though this is under review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arizona Tech Investors is an angel investment group that deploys early-stage capital into technology startups via Special Purpose Vehicles (LLCs), with typical checks of $188,000–$253,000 per company and per-member minimums of $5,000. Beyond capital, ATI provides portfolio companies with collaborative due diligence, strategic mentorship, and access to its 98+ member network of accredited investors, doctors, medical-device professionals, and technology operators. Members participate in a six-stage screening process spanning application review, pitch presentation, deep-dive Q&A, and SPV formation.

Product overview

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI) operates as a single unified offering—an angel investment group that provides a comprehensive suite of early-stage investment services to technology startups. The core offering combines seed funding, strategic mentorship, network access, and collaborative due diligence, all facilitated through their investment application platform (Dealum). ATI deploys capital through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) structured as LLCs, enabling flexible investment amounts starting at $5,000 per member. Their investment process spans six stages from application through closing, supported by standardized term sheets for Series Seed Preferred Stock and Convertible Notes. The group focuses primarily on early-stage technology companies across software/SaaS, medtech, hardware, and deeptech sectors, with approximately 50% of deal flow in medtech/bio and 50% in software/hardware/deeptech.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investment Membership Annual membership in Arizona's largest angel investment group for accredited investors (SEC Regulation D, Rule 506), providing access to curated deal flow, screening meetings, member meetings, and collaborative due diligence. Available as in-state membership at $1,750/year (single or couple) and out-of-state virtual membership at $1,500/year.
• Seed Funding (Early-Stage Capital Investment) Early-stage capital deployed into technology startups (software/SaaS, medtech, hardware, deeptech, marketplaces, therapeutics) via Special Purpose Vehicles. Typical total investment per company is $188,000–$253,000; per-member investment ranges from $5,000 to $100,000 with an average of $12,000–$15,000. ATI prefers to be the last money in and typically invests in convertible notes or Series Seed Preferred Stock.
• Collaborative Due Diligence Service Deep-dive due diligence conducted by ATI members for portfolio companies and prospective investments, including customer verification, technology assessment, market analysis, and corporate document review. Domain expert panels (11-member BioTech panel, 11-member SaaS/Hardware/Deeptech panel) ensure sector-specific evaluation.
• Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Investment Structure LLC-based investment vehicle that aggregates individual member capital (minimum $5,000 per member per deal) and presents as a single entity on the portfolio company's cap table. The operating manager earns a 5% carried interest above returned capital on successful exits.
• Standardized Term Sheets Standardized term sheet templates for Series Seed Preferred Stock and Convertible Notes that provide balanced, pre-negotiated investment terms between portfolio companies and ATI members.
• Strategic Mentorship and Network Access

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.6x return / 56% IRR on Virtuous Software exit (September 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of Arizona Center for InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is a technology incubator affiliated with the University of Arizona. Listed as a partner providing financial sponsorship and serving as a platform for communicating with entrepreneurs seeking resources and services to build their businesses.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest and most active US angel networks, operating a similar membership-based model with screening committees, SPV/sidecar deployment, and domain-specific deal evaluation. Closely comparable as a regional structured angel group with a comparable portfolio size and check-size range.
• Sierra Angels: California-based angel group using a structured screening and due diligence process with SPV-style investments across multiple sectors including medtech and SaaS. Comparable as a regional angel organization with similar member-driven screening rigor and stage focus.
• Central Texas Angel Network: Regional angel network investing in early-stage technology and life science companies in Texas. Directly comparable to ATI as a membership-based angel group focused on a specific state ecosystem with medtech/tech deal flow.
• Band of Angels: Silicon Valley-based angel group with a strong track record of early-stage technology investing and member-led screening. Comparable membership-based structure and SPV deployment, with a longer historical track record than ATI.
• Alliance of Angels: Pacific Northwest angel group with member-led screening committees and SPV-based investment into early-stage technology startups. Directly comparable operational model with similar member-driven due diligence and check-size range.
• Golden Seeds: Angel network focused on women-led startups, operating a membership model with screening committees and SPV investments. Comparable in structure but differentiated by sector focus; relevant as a peer in the broader angel-group category.

Emerging players

• AngelList: Online platform enabling syndicates and SPVs for angel investors with national deal flow and lower minimums. Competes with ATI for accredited investor mindshare and member participation, though structurally different (platform vs. membership group).

Regional players

• Brookstone Venture Capital: Arizona-based early-stage venture capital firm that is also an ATI partner. Overlapping deal flow in the Arizona ecosystem with potential co-investment relationships; comparable as a regional capital provider rather than direct head-to-head competitor.
• Arizona Founders Fund: Arizona-based early-stage investor operating in the same Southwest ecosystem. Comparable regional focus on Arizona tech startups but operates as a fund rather than a member-based angel group.
• Xcellerant Ventures: Arizona-based venture firm that is also an ATI financial sponsor and partner. Operates in the same Arizona/Southwest early-stage ecosystem with overlapping portfolio and co-investment dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments69 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arizona Tech Investors