Arizona’s first hacker house, DevHouse, has launched at Loloft Phoenix in a partnership between DevLabs and Silicon Oasis. The six-week program aims to support early-stage founders working on technology solutions for real-world problems. Funding for the initiative was provided by BlockchainUnmasked, with additional support from Arizona Venture Capital (AZ-VC) and PHX Ventures.
DevHouse offered mentorship, workspace, and a collaborative environment for participants to develop their products. Josue Romero, Co-Founder of Silicon Oasis, stated: “At Silicon Oasis, our goal is to unite and spotlight the Arizona tech ecosystem. DevHouse does exactly that by giving builders the mentorship, space, and community they need to go from idea to launch. We want to make sure great tech startups in Arizona never go unnoticed or unsupported ever again.”
The program concluded with a Demo Day on August 6, which brought together investors, entrepreneurs, and local business leaders. Founders were chosen through an application process and lived at Loloft Phoenix during the program.
Brendan Howell, CEO of Loloft, said: “Hosting DevHouse is a natural extension of what Loloft stands for: giving entrepreneurs the space and support to grow fast. This program is planting a flag for what’s next in Arizona.”
Participants received resources from sponsors including BlockchainUnmasked, Loloft Inc., and Novel Ice Cream. The curriculum included direct mentorship from venture capitalists and experienced founders as well as weekly progress checkpoints.
David Richards, CEO of Blockchain Unmasked commented: “As a crypto-focused cybersecurity firm, it’s been an inspiring privilege to sponsor DevLabs’ Hacker House. We’re proud to spark innovation in Phoenix while contributing to a secure tech future for Arizona.”
Demo Day featured pitches from selected founders before an audience that included representatives from PHX Ventures, AZ-VC, the Arizona Commerce Authority, PHX FWD, and Ink’d Greetings.
Among the standout projects were Cetera by Mary Sannapu—an AI-powered water treatment database; Code Place by Diego & Shapiro—a gig-as-challenge talent marketplace; and Obotiq by Nisarg & Natalie Levi—robots designed for hospitality services.
Dhanush Vardhan, Founder of DevLabs said: “When we started DevHouse, the vision was simple — give Arizona’s builders the same energy, resources, and belief that founders get in places like Silicon Valley. Over these six weeks, we watched ideas turn into products, strangers turn into teams, and Arizona proved that it’s ready to be a place where startups are born.”
Arizona has recently attracted more technology professionals and investment but lacked programs specifically targeting early-stage founders. The creation of DevHouse seeks to fill this gap by fostering new companies within the state.
The organizations involved include DevLabs—a startup lab supporting founders; Silicon Oasis—a group promoting accessibility in venture capital; Loloft Inc.—a hybrid workspace provider; BlockchainUnmasked—a cybersecurity firm focused on cryptocurrency; and Novel Ice Cream—a local business supporting community initiatives.
