Deals, News & Events for the Upstate Capital Investment Community
— VENTURE + GROWTH
SUNY RF TECH ACCELERATOR FUND OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
SUNY RF has announced applications are open for the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF), which provides critical investments to advance The State University of New York innovation from the lab to the marketplace. TAF investments are highly competitive and support technology development milestones, such as feasibility studies, prototyping, and clinical and field testing to demonstrate that an innovation has commercial potential.
$4M RAISED FOR CLIMATE TECH COMPANY SKYVEN
Skyven Technologies, an “energy as a service” company that funds and de-risks capital projects to reduce carbon emissions caused by processed heat, raised $4M in a seed round led by VoLo Earth Ventures. This brings Skyven’s total capital intake in 2021 to $6.5M. The company’s CEO, Arun Gupta, pitched at Upstate Capital’s Invest NY: Climate event in October 2021.
— PRIVATE EQUITY + M&A
MEMBER HIGHLIGHT: BLUE HIGHWAY CAPITAL
Meet Karin Gregory, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Blue Highway Capital. Blue Highway Capital invests in rural-based businesses looking for growth capital. They help fund family business transitions and acquisitions as other ways to grow businesses in addition to direct investing for growth. BHC are happy to co-lead and work with other funds in larger deals in industries such as food, manufacturing, business services, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and energy. Karin had been an investment professional with Mass Ventures and Dover Medical Ventures as well as serving as legal counsel to start-ups. She has advised Kimberly Clark’s venture capital fund on medical technology, served as a board member on Maine Venture Fund, and as the former Chair of CEI Ventures.
WNY COMPANY CLOSES $90+M ROUND
Viridi Parente, a Buffalo, NY-based maker of renewable power systems for heavy machinery and storage applications, raised over $94M in later-stage growth capital. Their existing investors include the WNY Impact Fund, Impact Capital, Varia Ventures and Grand Oaks Capital. The company is led by Jon M. Williams, Chairman and CEO. Upstate Capital members involved with the company include Tom Quinn, Andrea Vossler, Scott Friedman, Theresa Mazzulo and Rami Katz.
— UPSTATE CAPITAL EVENTS
Join us for a webinar and workshop on February 15 to learn all about the 2022 New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) and its upcoming competition. The webinar and workshop are free and is for current and potential mentors, judges and students; campus professionals; and anyone interested in learning more about this exciting program.
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MORE NEWS
September 25, 2026
Where Deals, Capital and CEOs Connect: Highlights from the 2026 Buffalo Private Equity Summit
Investors, business owners, executives and advisors gathered in Buffalo on September 22 and 23 for Upstate Capital’s 2026 Buffalo Private Equity Summit. Held at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship and The Westin Buffalo, the two-day event brought practical conversations about growth, ownership, investment and technology together with opportunities to build relationships across New […]
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August 10, 2026
Upstate Capital Welcomes Molly Hugar to Board of Directors
Upstate Capital is pleased to welcome Molly Daetsch Hugar, Commercial Leader at KeyBank, to our Board of Directors. Molly brings nearly two decades of experience in commercial banking, along with a deep understanding of the businesses, industries, and relationships that drive economic growth across Upstate New York. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with companies […]
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August 3, 2026
Raining with Opportunity: Highlights from the 2026 Saratoga Forum
Despite the rain, the 2026 Saratoga Forum delivered exactly what its theme promised: opportunity. Investors, business owners, founders, advisers and economic-development leaders gathered in Saratoga Springs on July 29 and 30 for two days of candid conversations, meaningful introductions and new opportunities to support the companies and communities shaping Upstate New York. The Saratoga Forum […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Keynote: Ed Mitzen on Entrepreneurship, Impact & What Comes Next
The 2026 Venture NY keynote speaker, Ed Mitzen, shared an honest and energizing perspective on entrepreneurship, leadership and the rapidly changing future of work. A serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and co-founder of the Business for Good Foundation, Mitzen reflected on building multiple successful companies, including Fingerpaint Group, while emphasizing that resilience, people-first leadership and purpose-driven work […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Panel: What’s Next? Opportunities for Founders Across New York
The panel “What’s Next? Opportunities for Founders Across New York” at this year’s Venture NY explored the growing network of accelerators, competitions and support programs helping startups move from early ideas to scalable businesses across New York State. Featuring Seth Mulligan, Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration at Griffiss Institute; Patty Rechberger, Innovation Fund […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Panel: From Lab to Market — Scaling NY Innovation
At the 2026 Venture NY event, the panel “From Lab to Market — Scaling NY Innovation” explored the realities of transforming breakthrough research into scalable companies across New York’s innovation ecosystem. Moderated by Paul Tolley, CTO of Excell Partners, the discussion featured Dr. Marek W. Kowarz, Founder of MicroAdventure Technologies, and Nick Conn, Founder and […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Panel: What Makes an AI Company Investable? Data Strategy, Risk & Valuation
One of the panel discussions at this year’s Venture NY explored what separates truly investable AI companies from those simply riding the hype cycle. Moderated by Kate Polozie, Partner at Woods Oviatt Gilman, and featuring Somak Chattopadhyay, Managing Director at Armory Square Ventures, the panel “What Makes an AI Company Investable? Data Strategy, Risk & […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Panel: Where Are the Returns Now? From Hype to Healthy Outcomes
During our annual Venture NY event, the panel “Where Are the Returns Now? From Hype to Healthy Outcomes” explored how today’s venture environment is shifting toward disciplined growth, capital efficiency and long-term value creation. Moderated by Chris Rodi, Partner at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, the discussion featured David Brown, Managing Director at Impellent Ventures and […]
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May 26, 2026
Venture NY 2026 Panel: How Are Investors Really Deploying Capital Right Now?
As part of Venture NY 2026, the panel “How Are Investors Really Deploying Capital Right Now? Inside the 2026 Playbook” brought together venture leaders from across fund types to discuss how today’s investment landscape is shifting from hype-driven growth to disciplined, traction-focused investing. Moderated by Flossie Hall, Director of Operations at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, […]
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2024 NYBPC Grand Prize Winners Eutrobac Acquired by Agriment Services, Inc.
In the spring of 2024, Ellie Sangree and Jesse Wexler, co-founders of Eutrobac, stood in front of judges at the University at Albany and won the New York Business Plan Competition Grand Prize. They walked away with $25,000 and set to work building an IP portfolio, raising capital, developing the product and forging the connections […]
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