Idealab Arizona Announces Partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to Drive Strategic Innovation in the Built Environment

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Idealab Arizona, a partner of Idealab Studio, a leading technology incubator, today announced a strategic partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), a leading international architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm, to accelerate the development of innovative startups focused on revolutionizing the built environment. This collaboration also leverages Idealab Arizona’s partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) — ranked #1 in Innovation by U.S. News & World Report for ten consecutive years — and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), the globally recognized top economic development organization.

The partnership will be launched at Idea Day 2025, Idealab Arizona’s signature event connecting entrepreneurs and investors. The Idealab Arizona – SOM partnership will focus on fostering startups that address critical challenges and opportunities in the built environment, targeting sectors such as Data Centers, Housing, Social Infrastructure, Energy Infrastructure, Materials, and Advanced Manufacturing. By focusing on the built environment, this partnership deepens the mission of the startup studio that Idealab Arizona announced in October 2024 to focus on startups that address the world’s most pressing challenges.

“Idealab Arizona’s partnership with SOM marks an exciting milestone,” said John Graham, Founding Investor of Idealab Arizona, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sunbelt Holdings. “Leveraging SOM’s unmatched focus on engineering and design innovation with Idealab Arizona’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and ASU’s research prowess, this partnership will enable startups that address the biggest challenges facing the built environment worldwide — from off-grid data centers to accessory dwelling units. Together, we will drive innovation that shapes more sustainable and resilient cities.”

“Since our founding, SOM has been at the forefront of architectural and engineering innovation, shaping cities and communities for nearly a century,” said SOM Partner Adam Semel. “We see the opportunity to expand beyond the boundaries of a traditional architecture practice and reach across sectors to invent new solutions to the most pressing challenges in the built environment. In the spirit of collaborative problem-solving, this partnership with Idealab Arizona and ASU is a commitment to continue to develop new advanced technologies and sustainable practices.”

Arizona State University will contribute to this collaboration through The Design School (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), the Del E. Webb School of Construction (Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering), and the School of Sustainability (College of Global Futures).

“Arizona State University is proud to see this collaboration between Idealab Arizona and SOM, which builds on our shared commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said Renée Cheng, dean of the Herberger Institute and ASU senior vice provost. “By bringing together Idealab Arizona’s entrepreneurial drive, SOM’s global expertise in the built environment, and ASU’s interdisciplinary research capabilities, we are creating a unique platform to launch impactful ventures that will shape the future of our communities and the world.”

The partnership will also continue Idealab Arizona’s collaboration with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) to leverage Greater Phoenix’s thriving ecosystem of global startups, which has attracted more than $9 billion in venture capital, angel, and seed funding from 2018-2023. This alliance will significantly expand access to local innovators and support the region’s growth in advanced construction and sustainability technologies for the rest of the world.

“Greater Phoenix’s emergence as a hub for startup innovation is further solidified by this partnership between SOM, Idealab Arizona, and ASU,” said GPEC President & CEO Chris Camacho. “The synergy of SOM joining forces with ASU, the No. 1 university in innovation, and Idealab Arizona’s company creation and incubator expertise will significantly amplify our region’s capabilities to incubate and scale transformative Built Environment startups, generate substantial economic and community impact, and meaningfully enhance our quality of life.”

About Idealab Arizona

Idealab Arizona is a new venture focused on the earliest stage of a company creation — from idea to establishing product market fit. We look for big problems in the world around climate, medical, AI and advanced manufacturing. We then co-found companies with extraordinary entrepreneurs to turn these most commercially promising solutions into thriving businesses. ASU, Idealab Studio and Idealab Arizona Board Member Bill Gross have previously collaborated in ventures, including CarbonCapture, an Idealab Studio-founded company working with ASU to build a regional direct air capture (DAC) hub with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, please visit idealabaz.com.

About Idealab Studio and Idealab

Idealab Studio looks for big problems in the world and invests in companies to solve those problems believing that entrepreneurship can unlock human potential and make the world a better place. Idealab Studio provides business development support to its portfolio companies and leverages its experience with founding, supporting and investing in startups to help them grow into successful businesses. In the 29 years since its founding, Idealab has started more than 150 companies, created more than 10,000 jobs, and had more than 50 successful IPOs and acquisitions. For additional information, please visit idealabstudio.com and idealab.com.

About SOM

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is a global collective of architects, engineers, and planners designing buildings, interiors, and public spaces that push the boundaries of technical and environmental innovation. From several of the world's tallest structures to developing new low-carbon building materials, SOM’s designs anticipate change in the way we live, work, and build. The firm’s commitment to sustainability is evident not only in its industry-leading carbon neutral operations, but also in its portfolio of work — from the first net zero mass timber government building in the United States, completed for San Mateo County last year, to the net-zero Bio-Block™ material installation unveiled at the Chicago Architecture Biennial and everything in between. Last year, Fast Company named SOM one of the world's most innovative companies. Please visit www.som.com for more information.

About GPEC

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), globally recognized as a top economic development organization (EDO), works to attract and grow quality businesses and advocate for the competitiveness of Greater Phoenix. A data-driven regional EDO, GPEC works with 22 member communities, Maricopa and Pinal counties, and more than 220 private investors to accomplish its mission and serve as a strategic partner to companies across the world as they expand or relocate to Greater Phoenix. Over the past 35 years, GPEC has fueled the regional economy by helping over 1,000 companies, creating nearly 190,000 jobs and $69.4 billion in capital investment. Greater Phoenix is in a relentless pursuit of innovative and entrepreneurial-focused companies looking to thrive and scale in a vibrant, dynamic region. There is an undeniable spirit about Greater Phoenix; one rooted in strength, collaboration and resilience. Greater Phoenix is Greater Together. For more information about GPEC and how we can assist your businesses, visit www.gpec.org.