Eight companies with links to Rochester are among Upstate Venture Connect’s 2018 nominees for Deal of the Year, an award that recognizes firms whose exits impacted their founders and the local economy. They join seven others from Upstate New York.
Winners and finalists will be announced during the Upstate Unleashed Conference on Oct. 2 in Syracuse.
Here is a look at the nominees with Rochester connections:
American Fuel Cell: AFC is a developer of Membrane Electrode Assemble (MEA) technology – the key catalyst for fuel cells to create power. The company was acquired by Albany-based Plug Power Inc.. Through this acquisition Plug Power will immediately have a facility in Rochester, NY, and create more job opportunities for talent in the Finger Lakes region.
Bio-Optronics: A producer of software and services focused on clinical research, automated scheduling, and patient safety, Bio-Optronics received $30 million in funding from growth equity firm Mainsail Partners. The new funding will be used to accelerate product development, improve customer service capacities, and boost sales and marketing efforts. Dan Kerpelman is the CEO of Bio-Optronics. He acquired the company 7 years ago. Bio-Optronics will remain and continue to grow in the Rochester area.
CaterTrax: Hospitality 101, Inc, doing business as CaterTrax, is an industry leading catering management software company that is built by caterers for caterers. The company was acquired by Volaris Group. CaterTrax was founded in 2004 by Rich Rund and Dan Welch as a result of streamlining their family-owned catering and restaurant operations. Today, over 7,500 operators, across multiple lines of business, use CaterTrax to manage their business.
CloudCheckr: A cloud management platform, CloudCheckr recently received $50 million in institutional funding. This Series A financing catalyzed an exceptional year for CloudCheckr. In 2017-18, CloudCheckr saw its direct client roster grow to manage more than $1 billion in cloud spend for leading enterprises such as Nasdaq, Siemens and Regeneron.
Datto : A provider of total data protection solutions for businesses around the world, Datto acquired at the end of last year, and simultaneously merged with Autotask. Autotask is located in East Greenbush and was founded by Upstate New York angel investor Dick Frederick. Datto and Autotask combined have 1,400 employees, with a presence in 125 nations worldwide. Following the announcement of the acquisition and merger, Datto Founder and CEO Austin McChord donated $50 million to the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 2009. This is the largest donation in the university’s history. About $30 million of the donation will go toward entrepreneurship development at RIT, including a new facility and supporting “entrepreneurial gap year” fellowships.
EagleDream Technologies: A veteran-owned business, EagleDream is an IT technology firm that delivers measurable business improvement through a variety of IT services, including custom-built cloud solutions and website and app development. The company was acquired by Troy-based GreyCastle Security, the industry’s leading provider of cybersecurity risk assessment, advisory and mitigation services. Through this strategic partnership, GreyCastle will expand its existing footprint in Rochester, where 10 of the company’s 75 cybersecurity experts are located.
iCardiac Technologies: After its purchase by Norwest in 2014, iCardiac, the company rapidly grew to meet the cardiac safety assessment and respiratory testing needs of its pharmaceutical clients worldwide. In December, Norwest sold iCardiac to ERT, a global data and technology company that minimizes uncertainty and risk in clinical trials.
VoicePort: A provider of intelligent, interactive voice response patient engagement systems, VoicePort was acquired by healthcare technology company PrescribeWellness. This acquisition will allow pharmacists, doctors and payers to connect with patients via voice, text, email and mobile.
The other Upstate New York nominees for Deal of the Year are :
- Anaren
- CommerceHub
- MadGlory
- Node40
- SpaceOutVR
- Specdrums
- Workorder.es
View all nominees across the five award categories at uvcdevelopment.wpengine.com/awards-nominations-2018
And don’t forget to grab your tickets before it’s too late at 2018Unleashed.eventbrite.com
