Deals, News & Events for the Upstate Capital Investment Community
LAST CALL: ONE WEEK UNTIL THE M&A ADVISOR SERIES – START NETWORKING NOW
Upstate Capital’s M&A Advisor Series is designed to facilitate knowledge and connections for service providers and business owners related to merging and acquiring companies. Join Upstate Capital, CEO’s, professional advisors, and business owners on June 8 at The Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester.
The series includes an invitation-only roundtable for business owners and entrepreneurs to sit down with experienced executives in a closed-door session. The roundtable is followed by a panel presentation, Building & Exiting Greenlight Networks with:
- Mark Murphy, Founder & CEO of Greenlight Networks
- Martin Birmingham, President & CEO, Five Star Bank
- Michael Parrinello, Partner, The Bonadio Group
- Moderated by Gordon Forth, Partner, Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
Networking is open before and after the program.
VC + GROWTH
RIT Incubator company Circle Optics enters the second quarter with $2.5M in total contract awards. Circle Optics was founded in 2017 and has participated in several regional accelerator programs, including Luminate NY and GENIUS NY, where it was awarded a $500,000 investment.
CNYBAC client Aurie receives $75K through national Innovation Challenge award. Aurie is redesigning the medical services and supplies that people in the disability community use every day, starting with a safely reusable intermittent urinary catheter system.
Buffalo based Clean Fiber secures $14M in debt financing. Jonathan Strimling, President and CEO, won the 43North competition on the idea that recycled corrugated cardboard could be a viable alternative. He said CleanFiber has been successful in proving that it can manufacture a higher quality product at lower costs.
PE + M&A
Upstate Capital member Paramax served as the principal M&A Advisor to Maziuk on their sale to a private investment company. Maziuk is a premier supplier of electronic security products, mechanical and electronic door hardware, and a wide array of equipment and supplies that support the security industry.
MORE UPSTATE CAPITAL NEWS
Do you know a startup in the food or agtech industry? Today is the final day to submit an application to pitch at Invest NY: Future of Food, June 29th at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
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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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