By Elyssa Stewart | New Venture Consultant, NYSTEC
Technology consulting firm NYSTEC has received a grant from international energy delivery company National Grid to help support local startups.
The grant will be utilized by NYSTEC’s independent economic development program IgniteU NY, created in 2015 to help foster entrepreneurship, innovation and support local entrepreneurs in Upstate New York.
National Grid’s CleanTech Incubation Program provides grants up to $250,000 to support entrepreneurial ventures, connect new companies to key resources, address their critical problems, and assist them in capitalizing on emerging opportunities. The CleanTech Incubation Program grant will provide additional funding toward IgniteU NY’s startup workshops held independently throughout the year as well as during its eight-week summer accelerator program, which helps startups take steps toward company maturity and prepare to pitch to potential investors.
“Funding support from National Grid helps provide critical new resources required to identify, nurture, and attract startups,” said Laurie Poltynski, National Grid Regional Executive. “National Grid’s incubator program helps create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that is vital for economic growth, and we are proud to partner with NYSTEC to help them realize this vision.”
Both NYSTEC and National Grid share a strong commitment to the communities in which they serve. Through the CleanTech Incubation Program grant, companies participating in IgniteU NY programs will have the opportunity to enroll in topic-specific workshops designed to advance them toward commercialization.
“We are excited to partner with National Grid to provide new programming that will enhance and extend our support to community startups,” says Michele Salisbury, NYSTEC CFO & Economic Development Director. “Many of the startup companies in our programs, such as the summer accelerator, are looking for additional support that takes a deeper dive into the content we cover. This grant will help us provide the additional knowledge and experience they are looking for.”
All IgniteU programs put an emphasis on engaging in the community and building relationships. This year’s accelerator teams will present their final pitches at a Startup Showcase event that is free and open to the public. The event will be held on August 2, 2017, from 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm at IgniteU in Troy, NY. To learn more about Startup Showcase and IgniteU NY, visit www.igniteuny.com.
