HELPING FOUNDERS BUILD WHAT THE SEMICONDUCTOR WORLD NEEDS NEXT
Semicon Desert inspires, trains, and accelerates founders advancing the global semiconductor supply chain — closing ecosystem gaps, developing talent, and connecting innovation to strengthen the semiconductor industry in Arizona and globally.
THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY IS GROWING FASTER THAN THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS IT
We help close that gap by turning engineers, researchers, and students into founders who build practical solutions for real industry needs — from design and testing to automation, materials, and sustainability.
by bringing universities and industry together through talks, challenges, and real collaboration.
WE INSPIRE
WE TRAIN
through hands-on programs that connect technical skill with market reality.
WE ACCELERATE
by guiding early teams and linking them with partners who can take them global.
AI SENSOR CHALLENGE
Design a smarter temperature sensor with AI
A statewide challenge for students from all universities in Sonora, with two weeks of hands-on training in LTSpice and AI, real mentors from academia and industry, and a chance to turn ideas into practical semiconductor solutions. Top teams move forward into Semicon Desert’s startup programs.
It starts in classrooms and labs, where we spark curiosity through talks, workshops, and open challenges. From there, we train teams to develop real solutions around industry needs — connecting them with mentors, investors, and partners who can test and scale their ideas.
Our goal isn’t to run programs for their own sake — it’s to help people move from learning to doing, and from doing to building companies that strengthen the semiconductor industry in Arizona and globally.
HOW WE WORK
We build pathways that turn technical talent into founders.