Partnership provides open-access data and intelligence for founders, investors, and entrepreneurship ecosystem professionals
NEW PALTZ, New York (March 25, 2025) – Upstate Capital, in partnership with Empire State Development’s New York Ventures and Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) have partnered to help fund Invest NY, a groundbreaking data platform designed to map the innovation and investment ecosystem across New York State.
Invest NY provides open-source intelligence on startups, innovation hubs, high-growth companies, investment strategies and entrepreneurship networks. The platform is a valuable resource for investors, founders, economic developers and ecosystem builders, enabling real-time visibility into New York’s vibrant startup landscape. The Invest NY platform currently covers Upstate New York, including the Capital District, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier, Central NY and Western New York.
“Invest NY is an essential tool for strengthening New York’s innovation economy,” said Ben Verschueren, Executive Director of NYSTAR. “By providing transparent, data-driven insights into startup activity, funding sources, and ecosystem development, we are equipping entrepreneurs and investors with the resources they need to make business decisions, which will drive growth and impact.”
Invest NY enables platform partners to:
– Gain real-time insights into the startup pipeline and investment landscape
– Connect efficiently with key stakeholders, including founders, investors, and support organizations
– Showcase New York’s innovation ecosystem at local, regional, and state levels
– Analyze trends in startup activity, investment patterns, and unique industry-specific resources
In addition, Invest NY provides a centralized source of truth for the innovation economy. The platform aggregates and visualizes historical relationships between startups and the resources they utilize, offering data-driven insights that empower economic developers and policymakers to make informed decisions about future investments.
“New York Ventures is proud to support Invest NY alongside NYSTAR as part of our shared mission to accelerate innovation and economic opportunity statewide,” said Jennifer Tegan, Managing Director of New York Ventures. “This platform is a powerful research tool to help investors discover promising startups and for founders to identify support organizations that allow them to connect with the right capital and other resources to grow their businesses.”
“At Upstate Capital, we are committed to fostering a thriving investment and entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Shelby Schneider, President and CEO of Upstate Capital Association o New York. “Invest NY is a game-changer, offering unparalleled access to data and insights that will drive meaningful connections and fuel economic growth across New York State.”
Access to the platform is available at investny.org.
About Upstate Capital
Upstate Capital increases access to capital for companies and deal flow for investors by maintaining a robust statewide network of capital providers, professional advisors and supporting organizations. Through regular events and educational content, Upstate Capital connects, educates, and celebrates the people building businesses in Upstate New York. For more information, visit upstatecapital.org.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office and is growing the workforce through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed and promotes the state’s world class tourism through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov.
About New York Ventures
New York Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of Empire State Development, New York State’s chief economic development agency. New York Ventures supports and invests in diverse entrepreneurs and their high growth companies across the state to secure a healthy, sustainable and economically vibrant future for all New Yorkers. More information is available here.
About ESD’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)
Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation—known as NYSTAR—advances technology innovation and commercialization in New York State. NYSTAR offers programs that assist companies from start-up through maturity, leveraging the state’s unparalleled investment in world-class technology assets and expertise. It provides about $70 million annually in funding to support over 80 centers that provide direct assistance to New York State companies—a network of vital assets for enabling technology—and manufacturing-led growth and job creation. For more information, visit esd.ny.gov/nystar.
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