A new venture capital gathering is coming to Phoenix next spring, and organizers say it will put 50 early-stage startups from nine countries in front of investors just as the city cements its role as a national chip-manufacturing hub. Tesoro VC announced the inaugural Frontier Forum on Monday in partnership with the City of Phoenix, with the event set for March 29, 2027.
According to a release distributed by azcentral.com, Frontier Forum is designed to connect emerging technology companies with venture investors and strategic industry partners to advance investment, customer relationships and commercialization. The forum will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Phoenix time on March 29, followed by a City of Phoenix welcome reception from 5 to 7 p.m. the same evening, the release states.
Organizers plan to convene roughly 300 technology leaders and select 50 startups spanning pre-seed through Series B stages that show credible technical progress or commercial validation, per the release. Planned participants are expected to come from the United States, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany. The agenda is set to include selected startup presentations, two executive panels, a fireside conversation and curated introductions, with speakers, a detailed agenda and venue details still to be announced.
Timed to Coincide With SEMICON West's Phoenix Debut
The date is no coincidence. Frontier Forum lands the day before SEMICON West opens its first permanent spring run at the Phoenix Convention Center from March 30 through April 1, 2027, after SEMI announced in July 2026 that it was relocating the flagship semiconductor conference from San Francisco to Arizona on a permanent basis, according to SEMI. The conference's 2025 trial run in Phoenix already set a nearly 20-year attendance record, drawing more than 35,000 industry attendees and 860 exhibitors across 1,500 booths, a 60% surge in registrations that In Business Magazine reported helped seal the city's case as a permanent host.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said the partnership with Tesoro VC will bring founders and investors into discussions about emerging technologies, business growth and opportunities, per the release carried by azcentral.com. Tesoro VC founder and managing partner Andy Lombard said Frontier Forum will connect founders with customers, strategic partners and investors to help turn breakthrough technologies into scalable products and businesses, according to the same release.
A Venture Arm Built for an Already-Booming Manufacturing Corridor
Frontier Forum's startup tracks will focus on semiconductors, advanced packaging, AI infrastructure, advanced computing, physical AI and robotics, quantum technology, advanced materials, health and biotechnology, and dual-use and defense technologies, the release states. Tesoro VC describes itself as a global venture investment and commercialization platform based in Phoenix that connects U.S. innovation and industry with ecosystems across Asia and Europe, focusing on enabling technologies tying together AI, semiconductors, robotics, quantum, and health and biotechnology.
Tesoro VC was first launched in January 2025 in partnership with the City of Phoenix, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and StartupAZ, established specifically to fill a regional gap for an early-stage accelerator focused on semiconductors and deep tech, according to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. The firm operates its Phoenix-based AI and semiconductor startup hub through strategic partnerships with major technology companies including TSMC, Cadence and Amkor Technology, Amkor has detailed. Lombard previously served as founding CEO of the state-sponsored, $87 million Arizona Venture Development Corporation and held earlier executive roles at Motorola Asia and Motorola Ventures, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.
Backdrop of Record Chip Investment
The forum arrives amid an unprecedented wave of semiconductor capital flowing into Arizona. Since 2020, the state has secured more than $314 billion in semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain investments across more than 70 expansion projects, making it the top state in the nation for chip-sector capital commitments, per the Arizona Commerce Authority. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. expanded its planned Phoenix commitment by $100 billion in July 2026, bringing its total investment to $265 billion for ten advanced fabs, two packaging facilities and an R&D center, according to Barré Properties.
That buildout is already visible on the ground. Hoodline reported that construction on TSMC's second fabrication facility in north Phoenix wrapped up in April 2026, setting the stage for tool installation ahead of targeted high-volume production of next-generation chip nodes in 2027 — a milestone covered in our earlier coverage. Metro Phoenix now ranks as the fourth-largest U.S. metro area for electronic component and semiconductor manufacturing employment, supporting more than 30,000 local jobs as of 2024. Taiwanese supplier Gudeng Precision Industrial also launched its first U.S. production facility in nearby Glendale this month, part of a growing international supplier network settling into the Phoenix metro area.
Applications Open in November
Startup applications for Frontier Forum will open November 1, 2026, and close December 31, 2026, with full instructions and selection details to be announced later, according to the release. Venture investors, corporate leaders and prospective startup participants can direct inquiries about attendance, curated meetings, sponsorships or strategic partnerships to [email protected]. Andrew Lombard is listed as Tesoro VC's media contact for the announcement.
