Deals, News & Events for the Upstate Capital Investment Community
SAVE THE DATE: BUFFALO PE SUMMIT SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 at MARCY CASINO in BUFFALO NY
This year’s keynote speaker is Michael Richter, currently the President of Brightcore Energy and NHL Hall of Fame player for the New York Rangers. Following a 15-year career with the New York Rangers where he was a three-time NHL All-Star and Stanley Cup Champion, Mike received his degree in Ethics, Politics and Economics with a concentration in Environmental Politics from Yale University. Mike co-founded Environmental Capital Partners, a $100 million Private Equity Fund focused on resource efficiency, in 2007. He also created Healthy Planet Partners, LLC in 2011, which is a fund to finance and manage the deployment of renewable energy technologies and energy-saving retrofits in the C&I space to reduce their operating costs and ecological footprint. Mike joined Brightcore Energy as President in 2016 and has raised private equity to drive growth.
MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Meet Upstate Capital’s New Member Noah Glick! With a “Forever Rochester” mentality, Noah Glick co-founded West Bluff Partners (WBP) to acquire and invest in lower middle-market companies in Upstate NY. WBP’s success is partly driven by Noah’s 10+ years of private equity experience.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Tariq Trotter, best known as Black Thought, of The Roots joins Impellent Ventures as a general partner. Trotter says he hopes to make the VC space less intimidating for other musical artists and people from marginalized or underrepresented communities.
Chloe Capital has partnered with Bank of America to advance equality and economic opportunity for women and minority-led businesses. Bank of America has dedicated $350 million to women and minority-led companies through capital investments in mission-focused venture funds, like Chloe Capital.
GENIUS NY announces 14 semi-finalists to advance in accelerator program. These 14 semifinalists will now present their technologies and business plans to a panel of executive advisers who will evaluate their ability to contribute to the region’s UAS ecosystem; scale and be successful; as well as the diversity of their technology focus and team makeup.
Endeavor Western New York raised $6.3M for the Endeavor Catalyst Fund. Endeavor Catalyst Funds are for-profit funds that invest in entrepreneurs who are already approved for the Endeavor accelerator 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, […]
Read More May 26, 2026
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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