We are pleased to announce a 3-year grant from the Flinn Foundation to StartupAZ/Freeway to support the development and maintenance of the Startup Ecosystem Dashboard for the state of Arizona. This collaboration is a testament to the shared commitment of both organizations to enhance Arizona's startup ecosystem and improve the quality of life for its residents.
The Flinn Foundation will join as a founding and design partner of the Freeway Startup Ecosystem Dashboard. As a key contributor, the Foundation's support will be instrumental in generating the data-driven insights necessary for the advancement of Arizona's startup ecosystem, particularly within the Bioscience sector. As a design partner, the Foundation will have the opportunity to shape and test future dashboard optimizations and contribute to bioscience organizations and companies to enhance the database further.
This collaboration ensures that the Freeway Startup Ecosystem Dashboard remains an effective and relevant tool in supporting Arizona's startup community.
The Flinn Foundation’s Key Contributions:
The Flinn Foundation is a philanthropic organization committed to improving the quality of life in Arizona, with a particular focus on advancing the Bioscience industry. Through strategic grants, programs, and partnerships, the Foundation seeks to drive innovation, economic growth, and health improvements across the state.
Arizona’s Booming Bioscience Industry
Arizona’s bioscience industry is a prime example of the state’s dynamic and rapidly growing sectors. Ranked in the top fourth nationally for job growth, this industry is supported by a robust network of premier healthcare and educational institutions, as well as innovators in diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, personalized medicine, genomics, medical devices, cancer treatment, telemedicine, neuroscience, and more.
The Phoenix Business Journal highlighted Bioscience as the 4th fastest growing industry in the nation. “We are in a very exciting time for Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem. Our growth rate continues to outpace the nation in many key areas. We have new and expanded medical schools in our future,” said Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., Flinn Foundation president and CEO, “with bioscience hubs bringing together researchers, educators, students and entrepreneurs in collaborative spaces.” On April 22, the Flinn Foundation released new data underscoring this optimism: In 2023, Arizona institutions received a record-breaking $365 million in NIH grants, increasing 29% since 2020—three times the national average. Additionally, industry job growth and wage growth in Arizona outpaced U.S. averages between 2020-2022.
Arizona State University’s Seidman Research Institute reported that in 2022, the bioscience and health industries contributed $71.2 billion in total gross state product and supported nearly 714,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Flinn Foundation’s Bioscience Roadmap, established in 2002, remains the longest-running, statewide bioscience strategic plan in the nation. Guided by leaders from public and private sectors in science, healthcare, business, academia, and policy, the roadmap will be updated in 2025 to continue driving the bioscience industry forward.
We are confident that this partnership will advance the objectives of both organizations and catalyze positive change within the state's startup ecosystem.
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