In building startup communities, measuring ecosystem growth and celebrating our achievements over the past five years, Upstate Venture Connect is at the center of what makes our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem thrive as entrepreneurs continue to build products and companies that improve communities, cities and the world.
Now with the start of our new UNY50 network of community leaders and entrepreneurs, UVC has extended its commitment to entrepreneurship throughout Upstate New York, working together towards economic progress by supporting regional access to capital, most recently seen at the 2015 JazzTech Conference in Rochester, N.Y.
In an impressive display of talent from over a dozen accomplished startup CEOs and Founders, JazzTech provided early-stage technology companies with access to Upstate New York capital, management support and mentorship opportunities.
Held at the Simon Business School on the University of Rochester campus, and hosted by UR Ventures and Cranberry Capital, JazzTech guests came prepared to potentially invest in companies that show promise in making a global impact.
“What you’ll experience today is a new approach to success. JazzTech 2015 is our first, annual conference designed for area New York investors to become aware of useful products and services that could make the world a better place,” said Scott Catlin, Associate Vice President of Technology Ventures with @UR_Ventures.
Throughout this two-day event, companies, predominantly in the biotech industry, showcased not only their ideas, but also had the opportunity to share more about their teams of smart, motivated people dedicated to making an impact on the world.
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UVC Recap. JazzTech 2015 Technology Companies Present Ideas
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Thereby this was a welcome chance for Upstate Venture Connect Founder Martin Babinec and CEO Nasir Ali, along with colleagues from UNY50, to highlight how a more connected entrepreneurial ecosystem attracts talent and capital.
“The startup revolution is now underway. Events like JazzTech with its region wide investor participation, break down the silos that have impeded collaboration across Upstate New York,” said Babinec.
A recent post by Compass, The Startup Revolution Series – Part 3: The Rise of the Startup, cites the emergence of new types of investors to the VC space including angels, accelerators and micro-VCs, which ultimately give birth to the creation of a larger number of startups via smaller investments.
“The future of our regional economy depends on opportunities like this. Cranberry Capital and the University of Rochester are not just showcasing amazing growth opportunities in our midst, they are also modeling how a community can invest its energy, intellect and capital to build world changing businesses,” said Ali.
As Upstate Venture Connect continues to empower entrepreneurs with the resources needed to create innovative products and companies, we look forward to taking part in transforming ideas into startups.
Over the past five years since the launch of UVC, we have supported the emergence of several Upstate New York entrepreneurial led activities, angel investment funds led by entrepreneurs and dozens mentorship opportunities for our region’s aspiring founders, with more than 1,000 startups having been identified and calculated.
If you’re an entrepreneur with an early-stage, high-growth startup in need of assistance, or a local investor prepared to sink your teeth into the support of our region’s startup ecosystem, Upstate Venture Connect can provide the resources necessary for your next steps.
Reach out to UVC Director of Growth Initiatives Jonathan Grutka at Jonathan@UVC.org.
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