“I’m grateful Moonshot is conducting this survey and I’m excited about the potential.”
Moonshot President and CEO Scott Hathcock says the initiative responds to recurring requests from both entrepreneurs seeking capital and potential investors looking for local deal flow. “We keep hearing from both sides that there’s interest, but we need data to understand if there’s actually enough critical mass to make this work.”
“Northern Arizona has entrepreneurial talent, but resources like capital have not always been local,” said Kyle Montgomery, founder and CEO of technology startup Generous, based in Flagstaff. “I’m grateful Moonshot is conducting this survey and I’m excited about the potential.”
PAS Technology & Ventures founder and CEO Paul Sciame, a Moonshot Founders Forum facilitator, says the goal is to identify qualified entrepreneurial businesses that are high-quality angel investable companies and then match them to the goals of angel investors or angel investment groups. “At the moment, there seems to be a gap between a friends and family funding round and Seed Funding organizations. The gap is identifying true angel investors.”
“There are investors across Northern Arizona who are interested in supporting early-stage companies but don’t always have clear visibility into local opportunities,” said Whitney Slightham, CEO and co-founder of Ateleva, a Flagstaff-based medical device startup. “A more coordinated regional investor network could surface deal flow, strengthen mentorship and create faster feedback loops for founders while keeping more capital invested closer to home.”
Hathcock says creating the wrong structure would waste everyone’s time and money; thus, the dual-track survey targets founders seeking investment and accredited investors interested in local deals.
Moonshot is not planning to operate any fund directly. Instead, the organization would connect validated demand with an experienced fund manager or help establish a regional angel group chapter if the data supports it.
“Our role is ecosystem building,” Hathcock said. “We’re trying to determine whether Northern Arizona has enough entrepreneurs with investable businesses and enough investors with deployment capacity to justify a dedicated structure.”
The survey explores three potential models: individual investments with peer group support, a sidecar fund allowing investors to participate deal-by-deal, or a traditional fund with committed capital. Survey questions assess funding needs, investment capacity, preferred deal structures and appetite for a Northern Arizona-focused approach.
“For many founders in Northern Arizona, raising early-stage capital often requires building investor relationships outside the region from the outset,” said Slightham.
Hathcock says when entrepreneurs must seek capital in Phoenix or out of state, companies often relocate. “A local investment ecosystem could help retain growing businesses in the region.”
Moonshot provides statewide entrepreneurship programs and operates an annual pitch competition and tour. The organization will launch the survey this month and promote it through April, with special focus during its “Innovation With An Altitude” event, Saturday, April 7 at Lowell Observatory, during Arizona Tech Week. FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
The survey may be completed via Moonshot’s website: https://www.moonshotflagstaff.com/.
Courtesy Photo: Moonshot has created an entrepreneurial ecosystem to support startups, like the medical device company, Corvention of Flagstaff, that made history with its innovative balloon catheter used on the first human heart patient in January. Now Moonshot is asking whether Northern Arizona has the interest and capacity to build an investment ecosystem.
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