On September 8, Upstate Capital hosted a webinar, “Entrepreneur Resources“, for early-stage founders and professionals working with startups in New York. The program provided an overview of the resources available to current and aspiring entrepreneurs in New York, including incubators/accelerators, hotspots, funding sources, and network-building opportunities. Below is the contact information for the organizations that participated.
Resources + Contact Information
Upstate Capital + Invest NY
The nexus for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment in Upstate New York through a robust investor network, events, education, and programs for the investment community.
upstatecapital.org
A data platform mapping the innovation and investment ecosystem across Upstate New York that offers open-source intelligence on startups, innovation, high-growth companies, and investment strategies.
investny.org
Contact: Bailey Burke, Membership & Programs Director: bailey@upstatecapital.org
Accelerators
GROW-NY
A business competition focused on growing an enduring food and agriculture innovation cluster in the Grow-NY region.
Contact: Jenn Smith, Program Director: jbs444@cornell.edu
Website: grow-ny.com
GENIUS NY
A $3 million business accelerator in Syracuse, NY focused on uncrewed aerial systems, robotics, and big data startups.
Contact: Kara Jones, Director: kjones@centerstateceo.com
Website: geniusny.com
Fuzehub Commercialization Competition
Companies throughout New York State compete to demonstrate the commercialization potential of their technology or product, with an opportunity to win up to $150,000.
Contact: Patty Rechberger, Innovation Fund Manager: patty@fuzehub.com
Website: fuzehub.com/commercialization-competition
43North
A startup accelerator sponsored by Empire State Development invests $5M annually into seed-stage startups.
Contact: Cindy Sideris, Senior Platform Manager: cindy@43north.org
Website: 43north.org
Luminate
Luminate is an accelerator program run by NextCorps and funded by New York State, which focuses on startups in the optics, photonics, and imaging sectors. With global recruitment, Luminate selects 10 startups annually for the six-month program, and invests $3M annually into those companies.
Contact: Sujatha Ramanujan: sujatha.ramanujan@nextcorps.org
Website: luminate.org
Incubators
BIANYS: Business Incubator Association of New York State
The professional membership organization brings together a community of engaged program leaders of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces spanning all corners of New York State.
Contact: Michael Gurtowski, Deputy Director: michael.gurtowski@bianys.com
Website: bianys.com
Connecting to Jobs
Statewide: Invest NY Job Board
Forge Buffalo
A talent community of job seekers, employers, and entrepreneurial spirits in Buffalo, New York.
Contact: Christian Gaddis, Director: christian@43north.org
Website: forgebuffalo.com
State Resources: Commercializing Technology, Innovation Hot Spots, NYSTAR
NYS Science and Technology Law Center
An organization dedicated to providing legal research, education, and information to help commercialize new technologies. Research is on intellectual property, including prior art relevant to assessing patentability and freedom to operate, secondary market research, and regulations.
Contact: Brian Gerling, Executive Director bjgerlin@syr.edu
For information on obtaining research contact: nysstlc@syr.edu
Website: nysstlc.syr.edu
Hudson Valley Innovation Hot Spot
Connects businesses to existing regional organizations and services, and provides direct, highly individualized incubation services to select startups and existing companies with the potential to reach larger-scale commercialization of their products and services.
Contact: Eliza Edge, Director: edgee@newpaltz.edu
Website: newpaltz.edu/schoolofbusiness/hvventurehub
NYSTAR
Empire State Development & ESD’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Contact: Ben Verschueren, Executive Director: Ben.Verschueren@esd.ny.gov
Website: esd.ny.gov/innovation-development-support
Funding Sources
Grants: STTR, SBIR, FuzeHub Manufacturing Grants
Contact: Patty Rechberger, Innovation Fund Manager: patty@fuzehub.com
Website: fuzehub.com/innovation-fund
Venture Capital: NY Ventures
New York Ventures partners with diverse teams that are using technology to solve important challenges in areas of strategic interest and importance. They actively look to provide greater access to venture capital for regions, industries, and individuals. Their goal is to build a robust startup ecosystem across New York State, leveraging public and private sector assets.
Contact NY Ventures: NewYorkVentures@esd.ny.gov
Contact the NY Ventures Pre-Seed and Seed Fund: NYVenturesPreSeed@esd.ny.gov
Website: esd.ny.gov/venture-capital