Invest Southwest

What Invest Southwest does

Invest Southwest is a private non-profit association founded in 1992 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, that operates the Venture Madness Conference & Expo, Arizona's longest-running annual venture capital conference. The organization's core function is convening accredited investors, private equity firms, and early-stage technology startups in the Arizona market through a single signature annual event, supplemented by recurring membership programs, regional Get Ready Seminars in Phoenix and Tucson, and a Hall of Fame recognition program. Its business model is event-driven, with revenue generated from three streams: conference and event registration fees, tiered corporate sponsorship packages (offering brand visibility, directory listings, and networking access), and recurring membership dues for investors, entrepreneurs, and service professionals. The organization reports that presenting companies have collectively raised over $1 billion in capital and that 40% of past presenting companies have successfully raised capital, positioning the platform as a regional deal-flow conduit rather than a technology product company. Sponsorship is anchored by a roster that includes Arizona Commerce Authority, J.P. Morgan, Silicon Valley Bank, Grayhawk Capital, AZVenture, and a network of professional services firms including Baker Tilly, CliftonLarsonAllen, and Weiss Brown, reflecting a community-organizer business model whose value is fundamentally relational and event-based rather than technology or AI-enabled.

Name

Invest Southwest

Legal name

Invest Southwest

Website

https://investsouthwest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Invest Southwest is a Phoenix-based non-profit that has operated Venture Madness, Arizona's longest-running annual venture capital conference, since 1992. It connects accredited investors with regional technology startups through an annual conference, membership programs, and tiered corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference and Event Revenue: Revenue generated from hosting the annual Venture Madness conference and expo, including attendee registration fees for entrepreneurs presenting their startups to investors.
2. Membership Fees: Recurring membership fees for investors, entrepreneurs, and service professionals seeking networking opportunities within the Arizona tech ecosystem.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorships from organizations seeking brand visibility to investor and entrepreneurial audiences, with tiered sponsorship packages offering brand awareness, prime directory listings, event perks, and networking opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Invest Southwest operates Venture Madness, Arizona's longest-running annual venture capital conference since 1992, connecting accredited investors and private equity firms with Arizona-based technology startups through a signature annual conference and expo. The organization supplements the conference with a membership networking program, tiered sponsorship packages, and pre-conference Get Ready Seminars held in Phoenix and Tucson to support the Arizona technology investment ecosystem.

Product overview

Venture Madness by Invest Southwest operates as a single unified offering centered on its annual conference and expo, which serves as Arizona's premier capital conference since 1992. The organization provides three integrated pillars: (1) the Venture Madness Conference & Expo as the core signature event connecting tech startups with accredited investors; (2) membership and sponsorship programs that enable ongoing networking and partnership opportunities; and (3) supporting programs including Get Ready Seminars and the Hall of Fame recognition. The portfolio functions as a complete ecosystem serving the investor and entrepreneurial community through events, membership, and marketing/PR services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venture Madness Conference & Expo Annual venture capital conference and expo that connects accredited investors and private equity firms with Arizona technology startups through startup presentations, networking, and an expo format. Targeted at the Arizona investor and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Venture Madness Membership Program Recurring membership offering for investors, entrepreneurs, and service professionals providing ongoing access to Arizona's tech startup ecosystem and networking opportunities.
• Venture Madness Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship offerings providing brand awareness, prime directory listings, event perks, and networking opportunities for corporate sponsors seeking visibility within the investor and entrepreneurial audience.
• Get Ready Seminars Pre-conference educational seminars held in Phoenix and Tucson that prepare startups and investors for the main Venture Madness event through pitch coaching and ecosystem education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of past presenting companies have successfully raised capital
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Arizona Commerce AuthorityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency partnering as a key sponsor supporting Arizona's entrepreneurial ecosystem and the Venture Madness conference.
• Whitepoint DigitalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital marketing agency providing sponsorship support, potentially offering marketing services to startups in the ecosystem.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and consulting firm providing sponsorship and professional services to startups and investors in the ecosystem.
• Baker TillyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and advisory firm sponsoring the conference and providing professional services to the startup community.
• O&M LawminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm providing legal services sponsorship and potentially serving startups and investors with legal needs.
• Weiss BrownminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm serving as sponsor, providing legal counsel to startups and investors in the ecosystem.
• GalvanizeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoworking space and tech education provider in Phoenix offering workspace and community resources to startups participating in Venture Madness.
• Kinline CPAsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting firm providing bookkeeping and tax services sponsorship to the startup ecosystem.
• AC3 CounselminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel providing sponsorship support and serving the legal needs of startups and investors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• WeFunder: Online equity crowdfunding platform providing investor access to early-stage companies — an emerging, partial-overlap alternative to traditional regional investor conferences for deal sourcing and capital matching.
• Golden Seeds: Nationwide angel investor network running events and pitch forums for early-stage companies — comparable regional-chapter event-driven model focused on a specific investor demographic, but with national footprint and a thematic mandate.
• Republic (AngelList Republic): Online investment platform enabling accredited and retail investors to access startup and private deals — competes for the same investor-startup connection workflow that Invest Southwest facilitates, but in a digital-first, geographically unbounded format.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator and investor network that runs demo days, founder events, and investor matchmaking at scale — comparable in connecting startups with investors through curated events, but broader portfolio (accelerator programs + venture fund) and operates nationally.
• National Venture Capital Association (NVCA): Trade association representing the U.S. venture capital industry, hosting flagship events and serving as the industry-voice body — overlaps on investor ecosystem convening but operates as a national advocacy body rather than a regional deal-making platform.

Others

• CB Insights: Market intelligence and data platform for venture capital and emerging-company intelligence — not a direct competitor but an adjacent infrastructure provider serving the same investor audience with deal-sourcing and market-data tools rather than live events.

Direct peers

• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): Global not-for-profit entrepreneurship organization operating through regional chapters that run events, mentorship, and investor-connect programs for technology founders — comparable in chapter-based structure, mission, and reliance on membership/sponsorship revenue.
• Angel Capital Association: National alliance of angel investor groups that convenes accredited investors and facilitates connections to early-stage deals through events, education, and networking — directly comparable to Invest Southwest's investor-startup intermediation model, but operating at a national rather than single-state scope.
• Keiretsu Forum: Largest global angel investor network with regional chapters that host pitch events and forums connecting accredited investors with early-stage companies — directly comparable as a multi-chapter, event-driven investor-startup connector model.

Regional players

• Arizona Technology Council: Arizona-based technology industry trade association hosting events, networking, and advocacy for the state's tech ecosystem — directly comparable geography and overlapping investor/startup community-building role, with a broader tech-policy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Invest_SW
• Facebookfacebook.com/investsw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/investsw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Invest Southwest