Plug and Play accelerateAZ Announces Sustainability Accelerator Program Partners

PHOENIX, AZ (September 25, 2024) – Plug and Play accelerateAZ, a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), announced today at the Arizona Innovation Expo three corporate partners for the Sustainability Accelerator program: Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) and EPCOR.

The Plug and Play accelerateAZ Sustainability Accelerator will champion sustainability-driven startups by connecting them with established corporate partners. The program supports startups in the areas of renewable energy, water resiliency, sustainable mining, circular materials and carbon neutrality. Since launching in May 2024, the program has selected 11 sustainability-focused startups for its first cohort with a second cohort to be announced by the end of 2024.

“We’re thrilled to work with these outstanding Arizona companies and organizations as partners for the Sustainability Accelerator,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The corporate partners’ expertise will strengthen the Sustainability program and enable Plug and Play accelerateAZ to support more sustainability-focused startups. We’re grateful to all of our corporate partners, Saeed Amidi and the entire Plug and Play team for their continued work to advance Arizona’s innovation ecosystem.”

“We are excited to launch a Sustainability program in Arizona in partnership with leading companies that share our vision and are ready to make a positive impact on the planet," said Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play. “Together, we can work with innovative startups to drive impactful solutions in sustainability and create lasting change.”

“SWSIE is thrilled to be a founding partner with the Sustainability Accelerator,” said Brian Sherman, CEO of SWSIE. “Accelerating startups that advance water security, clean energy transition, and carbon management are paramount to the Engine’s economic development mission. These are the technology levers that will drive sustainable economic prosperity in Arizona and the southwest.”

“Honeywell is focused on creating technologies that drive the world’s transition to cleaner, more renewable energy,” said Honeywell Aerospace Technologies CTO Todd Giles. “We are excited to expand our involvement in accelerateAZ to include the Sustainability Accelerator so we can further shape Arizona’s technology ecosystem and jointly contribute to a greener future.”

“We are very pleased to join accelerateAZ’s Sustainability Accelerator as a founding corporate partner – sustainable growth and innovation are the backbone of our economy and Arizona’s highly desirable business climate,” said Shawn Bradford, Senior Vice President of Regulated US Water for EPCOR. “They are also at the core of EPCOR’s business, particularly as it relates to smart water management and new technologies that further that objective.”

The Sustainability Accelerator is the second program launched by Plug and Play accelerateAZ. Since launching the Advanced Manufacturing program in 2023, Plug and Play accelerateAZ has selected three cohorts of over 30 startups.

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform that runs programs in over 50 locations worldwide. This office in Arizona brings together stakeholders around the state who want to bring innovation to the forefront of their business. Plug and Play works with program partners to find the startups most relevant to solving problems in a specific industry.

Plug and Play accelerateAZ, a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority, launched in 2023 to connect startups, innovative corporations, government agencies and leading universities. As a steadfast commitment to grow the state’s startup ecosystem, Plug and Play accelerateAZ has launched two initiatives: the accelerateAZ Manufacturing program and the accelerateAZ Sustainability program. To learn more about Plug and Play accelerateAZ, please visit: azcommerce.com/start-up.

Media Contacts
Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

Sandy Keaton Leander, NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine, [email protected]

Adam Kress, Honeywell, [email protected]

Rebecca Stenholm, EPCOR, [email protected]

About Plug and Play accelerateAZ
Plug and Play accelerateAZ, a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority, was launched in 2023 to connect startups, innovative corporations, government agencies and leading universities. As a steadfast commitment to grow the state’s startup ecosystem, Plug and Play accelerateAZ has launched two initiatives: the accelerateAZ Manufacturing program and the accelerateAZ Sustainability program. To learn more about Plug and Play accelerateAZ, visit: azcommerce.com.

About NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE)
NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) is a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded initiative to transform the climate challenges faced by the desert Southwest into economic opportunities by harnessing the potential of STEM education and innovation. Led by Arizona State University and in partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Utah, and Desert Research Institute, SWSIE unites more than 110 partner institutions — spanning researchers, innovators, investors, decision-makers, and community and industry leaders — across Arizona, Nevada and Utah to cement the region as a leader in carbon capture, water security and renewable energy, while attracting high-wage industries and developing a skilled and capable sustainability-focused workforce.

About Honeywell

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit honeywell.com/newsroom.

About EPCOR USA
EPCOR has provided essential utility services to North American communities for more than 130 years. As one of the largest private utilities in the American Southwest, EPCOR provides water, wastewater and natural gas service to approximately 828,000 people across 44 communities and 19 counties in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. With corporate offices in Phoenix, EPCOR employs more than 600 people.