Funding
Rochester Angel Network
The Rochester Angel Network is a private group of accredited Rochester investors with an interest in investing in seed and early-stage startup companies. The network provides an accessible and efficient forum by which entrepreneurs can find potential investors, and investors can find deals of interest.
Excell Partners, Inc.
Excell Partners is a unique regional economic development partnership established in cooperation with the University of Rochester and the State of New York to manage a state-supported fund which provides pre-seed and seed stage financing to high-tech start-up companies in the Upstate New York Region. The mission of the fund is to support regional economic development by bridging the pre-seed and seed stage funding gap in Upstate New York while generating sufficient returns so that, over time, the fund becomes self-sustaining.
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
Important information regarding securities laws and how they affect your company's ability to raise capital. Be sure to check with your attorney and accountant for additional details.
Federal and State Grant Programs
Small Business Banking Resources
Private Equity / Venture Capital
Federal and State Grant Programs
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from their commercialization.
Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Program
STTR is an important new small business program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is the expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions.
National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program (ATP)
The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) bridges the gap between the research lab and the marketplace, stimulating prosperity through innovation. Through partnerships with the private sector, ATP's early stage investment is accelerating the development of innovative technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs and widespread benefits for the nation.
U.S. Department of Energy Inventions and Innovation Program
The Inventions and Innovation (I&I) program provides financial assistance for conducting early development and establishing the technical performance of innovative energy saving ideas and inventions.
NY State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Provides financial assistance for development and/or commercialization of new or innovative technologies.
Small Businesses Banking Resources
U.S. Small Business Administration
Provides multiple resources, including information on SBA loans, and SBIC equity investments
Private Equity / Venture Capital
The Upstate Capital Association of New York
The Upstate Capital Association of New York connects investors across the capital stack to opportunities across New York state. The organization also increases access to capital for companies and deal flow for investors by maintaining a robust statewide network, including capital providers, entrepreneurs, professional advisors, and supporting organizations.
Upstate Venture Connect
UVC is a not-for-profit organization offering advisory services to communities seeking entrepreneurship growth, and high-growth founders ready for macro scale.
LaunchNY
LaunchNY is a 501(c)(3) venture development organization whose mission is to identify, support and invest in high-growth, high-impact companies and catalyze the entrepreneurial culture to drive job and wealth creation in the 27 westernmost counties of Upstate New York.
New York State Small Business Technology Investment Fund (SBTIF)
The Small Business Technology Investment Fund (SBTIF) provides start-up high-tech companies throughout New York State with a source of venture capital to promote new job creation and economic growth. The Fund makes early-stage equity investments in companies that have developed innovative technology products or services and that display significant competitive advantage.
Trillium Group (Rochester, NY)
Trillium Group, LLC is a venture capital and commercial development company specializing in startup and early-stage businesses.
High Peaks Venture Partners (Albany, NY)
High Peaks Ventures, LLC was created to identify and develop promising early-stage tech companies in upstate New York and the surrounding regions.
Rand Capital Corporation (Buffalo, NY)
Rand Capital provides venture capital and management experience to support the growth and development of businesses in varied industries, primarily in the Western New York and Upstate New York region.
Seed Capital Partners (Buffalo, NY)
Seed Capital Partners is an early-stage venture fund that invests primarily in companies addressing communications infrastructure and enterprise software opportunities in the northeastern U.S., southeastern Canada, and Israel.
Summer Street Capital Partners (Buffalo, NY)
Summer Street is a private equity investor that provides capital to support the following types of transactions: Growth Financing, Management Buy-Outs, Sale or Divestiture, General Transitions, Recapitalizations.
Cayuga Venture Fund (Ithaca, NY)
Cayuga Venture Fund II was formed to assist early-stage companies by providing both management skills and capitalization. A secondary mission of CVF II is to promote and support economic development in our region through job creation. Therefore, we preferentially invest in companies that have a regional presence but are players in worldwide markets.
DeltaPoint Capital Partners (Rochester, NY)
DeltaPoint Capital Management, LLC is a private equity partnership that makes investments in privately-held and/or closely-held companies primarily located in Upstate New York that are in the process of changing the majority control or acquiring the majority control of another business.
FA Technology Ventures (Albany, NY)
FA Technology Ventures provides growth capital to early and expansion stage companies in Information Technology (IT) and Energy Technologies (ET), with a sensitivity to New York Companies, and assists management in developing extraordinary companies.
Enhanced Capital Partners (NY, NY)
Enhanced Capital Partners, LLC, formed in 1999, is a national investment firm specializing in state-specific investments in small and emerging companies with its private investment funds. Enhanced Capital generally makes investments in emerging and high growth companies seeking between $500,000 and $3,000,000 of equity capital.
Stonehenge Capital Corporation (NY, NY)
Stonehenge Capital Corporation is one of the largest and most active private equity firms in the country. Stonehenge currently manages several distinct private equity and mezzanine funds with approximately $500 million in capital through its offices in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Silicon Alley Seed Investors (NY, NY)
Created to grow the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast's most promising seed- and early-stage high-technology ventures, SAS Investors is committed to strong partnerships that afford passionate entrepreneurs the opportunity to build exceptional companies. With clear and unhindered designs on the future, the SASI mission is to seek out partners with visionary technology concepts.