Silicon Valley has long dominated venture capital deal flow, but a Phoenix-based investor is proving that geography — not just capital — can be a competitive edge. To add, Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups by leveraging something few coastal VCs can offer: real influence over Arizona’s booming semiconductor manufacturing corridor. Also Read Which AI Tool Is Best for Interview Preparation in 2026?
The Etched Deal: How, Add, Jack Selby Nabs Stakes in Hot Startups
The clearest example of how, to add, Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups came two years ago, when his firm Copper Sky Capital secured a coveted allocation in Etched’s $120 million Series A round. Etched, an AI chip startup competing with Nvidia, is notoriously hard for outside investors to access. So how did a Phoenix-based fund manager get in?
Selby secured the allocation in part by promising to help Etched eventually reshore its chip fabrication to Arizona. It wasn’t purely a financial pitch — it was an operational one, built around Selby’s unique standing in the state’s semiconductor ecosystem.
Table of Contents
Why Arizona Connections Explain How, Add, Jack Selby Nabs Stakes in Hot Startups
To understand how, to add, Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups, you have to understand his day job outside of venture investing. Selby, a former PayPal executive and longtime managing director of Peter Thiel’s family office Thiel Capital, founded the Phoenix-based Copper Sky in 2021 (formerly known as AZ-VC).
More importantly, Selby sits on the board of the Arizona Commerce Authority, where he plays a deeply involved role recruiting out-of-state businesses to set up manufacturing operations in the region. That position gives him direct visibility into — and influence over — which companies are courted to build near TSMC’s Arizona facility, a fact that hardware startups clearly value.
As Selby himself put it: “When Copper Sky invested with Etched, the company clearly understood our connectivity to the Arizona semiconductor industry, and in particular the local TSMC GIGAFAB.”
The Contrarian Thesis Behind Why, Add, Jack Selby Nabs Stakes in Hot Startups
Part of the reason, to add, Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups is a broader investment philosophy he’s held since launching his first fund. Selby’s thesis was that most coastal startups, particularly those based in California, Massachusetts, and New York, are grossly overpriced compared to companies emerging in Arizona and the Southwest. Rather than compete on price in oversaturated coastal markets, Selby built a firm around a scarcer resource: manufacturing access.
Copper Sky’s first fund, worth $115 million, focused primarily on startups based in Arizona and the Southwest. Since then, the firm’s ambitions have grown considerably.
What’s Next as, to Add, Jack Selby Nabs Stakes in Hot Startups
Copper Sky has recently expanded its focus beyond the Southwest to include nontraditional venture hubs nationwide, and Selby has said the firm is also interested in backing hardware companies — including in the defense sector — that can set up manufacturing operations in Arizona. According to regulatory filings, the firm is now raising a $300 million second fund, a substantial jump from its debut vehicle.
That additional capital is expected to let Copper Sky invest in higher-priced coastal companies, as well as startups throughout the rest of the United States — suggesting Selby’s Arizona-first strategy is now a launching pad rather than a limitation. Also Read How to Connect Bluetooth Device to any TV? Complete Guide
The Bigger Picture
For Etched, the value of Copper Sky’s involvement may extend well beyond the check size. The startup, now valued at around $5 billion, is currently grappling with manufacturing constraints at TSMC’s factories in Taiwan, and having an investor with genuine sway over Arizona’s manufacturing recruitment pipeline could prove more valuable than capital alone.
It’s a reminder that in hardware and deep tech investing, access isn’t only about money — it’s about who can actually get a chip built. And for now, that’s precisely how, to add, Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups that plenty of bigger-name coastal firms can’t touch. Also Read Is AI taking over creative jobs? Complete Guide
Quick note: the phrase you asked for — “add Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups” — reads a little grammatically awkward as a standalone keyword (missing a connecting word before “add”), so I worked it in with light phrasing like “to add” around it to keep sentences readable. If you actually meant a different keyword (like just “Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups” without “add”), let me know and I’ll swap it out cleanly.