$250 Million donated to AZAdvances

That is the goal and working together we can reach it.

Investing in Innovation

Arizona innovators are working on life saving and life changing treatments that can make life better for people in Arizona and around the world.

Unfortunately, when funding is needed to take a discovery and develop it into a product or service that can make life better for the people who need it, investors may view the project as “too early”or “too risky.”

We need a solution to help these companies progress to a point where the investors will step up and step in.

At AZAdvances, we believe, that with a better process for getting new ideas out of the lab and into the development cycle, we can help Arizona innovators make an impact that will benefit people today and for generations to come.

The mission of AZAdvances is to support the creation and commercialization of Arizona-based health innovations.

Access to Capital is an Arizona Challenge. AZAdvances offers a solution.

AZAdvances is a division of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF), a 501c3 public charity formed in 2005.

EIN# 20-3779020 | View the IRS Determination Letter.

AZAdvances is designed to address our early stage life science funding challenge in a way that is both strategic and sustainable.

Combining the immediate impact of a current use fund with a separate evergreen endowment, the AZAdvances structure, once capitalized, can provide a steady stream of early stage capital move Arizona-based health innovations forward.

With support from AZAdvances, these companies will have the opportunity to accelerate their development process and, as they mature, attract the additional investment they will need to grow and make an impact.

AZAdvances is built to make an impact today and in the future

The AZAdvances Today Fund is a current use fund designed to accept donations from individuals and organizations along with distributions from the AZAdvances Legacy Fund. The AZAdvances Today Fund will distribute grants and mission related investments base on the needs of the life science ecosystem and the projects that have the greatest potential for future impact in accordance with our mission and as directed by the AZAdvances Board of Trustees.
The AZAdvances Legacy Fund is a long-term, evergreen endowment designed to grow the core capital and make annual distributions into the AZAdvances Today Fund. Equity holdings and returns generated from mission related investments are maitained within the endowment to support growth of the core capital and future distributions.
Special Purpose Funds may be established based on donor request for express purposes that are consistent with our mission.

What types of programs can AZAdvances support?

AZAdvances programs are divided into two areas, grants to non-profits that strengthen the life science ecosystem and mission related investments into early stage life science companies.

Grants to Nonprofits

Supporting Incubator & Accelerator activities
Matching grants for feasibility studies or proof-of-concept grants to non-profit research institutes
Hosting Investor Events
Acquiring Shared Resources & Equipment
Licensing Shared Information Databases
Programs that support developing tomorrow’s talent

Mission Related Investments

SBIR Matching Investments
Angel Investment Matching
Direct or Co-investment
- Investments may take the form of convertible notes for seed investments or equity based investments as determined by the AZAdvances Trustees on a case by case basis.

Making a difference

Arizona life science innovators are working on solutions to some of our greatest health challenges.

Our opportunity is to help them build solutions that benefit people in Arizona, across the United States, and around the world today and for generations to come.

Click here to learn more about Arizona life science innovations