Cyber protection and edge data security company Acronis SCS opened its new headquarters recently, where it announced the launch of its Acronis SCSVets initiative.

The Scottsdale-based celebrated the opening of itsĢż by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month, awarding the companyā€™s Tribute to Service Art Contest winners. The Acronis SCSVets initiative aims to widen veteran access to cyber career opportunities with tailored, in-person training.

“We are committed to advancing Arizona’s position as a thriving tech hub and excited to accelerate our support for the U.S. public sector from our new headquarters,” Acronis SCS CEO John Zanni said in a . “In launching the Acronis SCSVets initiative, we are doing our part to narrow the cyber workforce shortage and provide America’s veterans, active military and military spouses with the skills they need to succeed in a demanding field.ā€

According to Acronis SCS, Arizona has a larger-than-average veteran population and more than 13,000 IT jobs open across the state. The SCSVets program will benefit the state by providing the veteran and military community training at zero cost.

The program is also unique in two key ways, according to the company.

First, the initiative prioritizes online learning and provides in-person training to members of Arizonaā€™s veteran community that is tailored to their needs and experiences. Second, it is focused on connecting participants with Arizonaā€™s small- and medium-sized businesses that are in immediate need of cybersecurity talent, because those businesses are less likely to be able to develop robust veteran-hiring programs.

“As a 26-year Air Force veteran, I am grateful for Acronis SCS’s commitment to help veterans and military spouses pursue tech careers. Military spouses in particular are an untapped group of resilient innovators who are significantly unemployed and underemployed even in this booming economy,” United States Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) said at the opening. “It is great to see Acronis SCS invest in Arizona and our vets and military families.”

Acronis SCSā€™s new facility is home to more than 30 employees focused on , around 20 percent of whom are U.S. military veterans. According to the company, it aims to expand its employee footprint across diverse fields including marketing, sales and network administration.

“Arizona continues to be a top destination for tech innovators like Acronis SCS,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said about the opening. “We are proud the company has chosen to call Arizona home, and we thank Acronis SCS for its continued investment in our state.”

The facility will house a community room that will be available for veteran-focused nonprofits in need of a meeting space. It will also serve as home to the Acronis SCSVets in-person career training workshops every quarter.Ģż

SCSVets pledges to provide at least 300 veterans, active duty military and military spouses with the credentials, skills and resources needed to pursue a career in cybersecurity within its first five years. It has a ā€œrobust networkā€ of partners including New Horizons of Phoenix, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families and Veteran Transition Mission.

The post Acronis SCS opens Arizona-based headquarters, launches SCSVets initiative appeared first on Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³»­.

Intel Capital, Intel Corporationā€™s global investment organization, announced $117 million of investments at the in Phoenix, adding 14 ā€œdisruptiveā€ tech startups to its ever-growing portfolio of data-centered companies from around the world.

ā€œAt Intel, weā€™re focused on pushing the boundaries of technology to make amazing experiences possible,ā€ an Intel Capital spokesperson said. ā€œEach of these new portfolio companies is pushing disruptive technologies that advance key areas of focus for Intel.ā€

New investments continue to signal Intel Corporationā€™s transition into a data company, shaking up the startupsā€™ respective industries and supporting the advancement of technology intended to improve health, convenience and quality of life for consumers.

ā€œWeā€™ve invested behind new applications of technology, with a shift from manufacturing to service-based solutions, such as smart health care, service robots and AI,ā€ the spokesperson said. ā€œOther investments include IoT, (robotics, drones, connected cars), as well as datacenter hardware and software.ā€

Intel Capitalā€™s mission is two-fold: create a return on investment for Intel shareholders and support Intel Corporationā€™s strategic objectives and break ground on new tech.

ā€œIntel has driven disruption for the last 50 years, changing the way we live by making compute ubiquitous,ā€ said Wendell Brooks, president of Intel Capital and senior vice president of Intel Corporation, at the summit. ā€œIntel Capital is continuing that legacy of disruption with these investments. These companies are shifting the way we think about artificial intelligence, communications, manufacturing and health care ā€” areas that will become increasingly essential in coming years as the linchpins of a smarter, more connected society.ā€

Intel Corporation set up shop in Arizona in 1979, beginning operations in Chandler the following year. Today, the company has more than 10,000 , manufacturing microprocessors that power data centers and hundreds of millions of devices worldwide.

The companyā€™s annual economic impact in Arizona is about $5.3 billion, according to a 2013 study by Arizona State University.

Intel Capital launched the Intel Capital Diversity Initiative in 2015 to provide diverse startups access to Intel Capitalā€™s business development programs, global network, technology expertise and brand capital.

More than 10 percent of the portfolio is now led by entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, which Intel Capital believes is ā€œan essential part of making the tech industry more inclusive for everyoneā€™s benefit,ā€ the spokesperson said.

In 2018, Intel Capital invested $391 million in 89 companies, 22 percent of which were made in diverse companies. Four companies completed Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and 14 were acquired.

Intel Capital has invested $12.4 billion in 1,544 companies in 57 countries since 1991, and in that time 670 companies in the organizationā€™s portfolio have gone public or participated in a merger.

ā€œIn recent years, Intel Capital has typically invested between $300 million to $500 million annually,ā€ the spokesperson said. ā€œAt the same time, weā€™ve been making fewer new investments each year. Making fewer, bigger investments lets us take more meaningful stakes in companies and play a more relevant role in helping them grow and succeed.ā€

According to Intel Capital, the organization has paid attention to artificial intelligence (AI) for at least five to six years, including machine learning, cognitive computing and more. AI has been one of the most important areas of focus for Intel as the company sets out to ā€œbuild the futureā€ under its ā€œvirtuous cycle of growthā€ strategy.

This yearā€™s investment recipients comprise a variety of unique new businesses from California, Texas, Canada, the United Kingdom, China and Israel.

ā€œOur continued goal is to leverage the global resources and expertise of the worldā€™s greatest engineering company, and its ecosystem of customers and partners, to help these founders accelerate growth and innovation,ā€ Brooks said.

The 2019 Intel Capital Global Summit invited more than 600 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and Global 2000 business leaders to spend three days networking and company-building.

Here are Intel Capitalā€™s disruptive startups for 2019:

• (Shanghai, China)
• (Palo Alto, California)
• (Houston, Texas)
• (Palo Alto, California)
• (Cupertino, California)
• (Santa Clara, California)
• (Guildford, United Kingdom)
• (Haifa, Israel)
• (Roseville, California)
• (San Diego, California)
• (Palo Alto, California)
• (Petaluma, California)
• (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
• (Zhuhai, China)

The post Intel Capital announces $117 million of new investments in 14 ā€˜disruptiveā€™ tech startups appeared first on Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³»­.