Launch NY

Launch NY is a nonprofit venture development organization headquartered in Buffalo, New York, dedicated to helping high-growth startups across Upstate New York become investment-ready. Operating across a broad geographic footprint that includes Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse, Binghamton, and Albany, the organization serves as a critical bridge between early-stage founders and the capital, mentorship, and ecosystem connections they need to scale. Launch NY's core methodology centers on three pillars: pro bono mentorship, seed-stage capital access, and ecosystem connectivity. The organization deploys a team of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) who provide hands-on, personalized mentoring to startup founders at no cost. These EIRs bring deep experience spanning sectors such as manufacturing, agtech, cleantech, computing, telecom, health, financial services, and specialty chemicals, and they leverage a national expert network of more than 400,000 professionals to augment their guidance. Mentorship engagements are structured around the Business Model Canvas framework and delivered through a hybrid support model designed to prepare startups for investment. On the capital side, Launch NY administers its InvestLocal Financing programs and maintains an active Investor Network to help portfolio companies access seed and early-stage funding. The organization also guides founders toward additional external funding sources, and its portfolio companies have collectively secured more than 40 times the capital initially provided by Launch NY itself. Beyond mentorship and funding, the organization operates a Resource Navigator platform that connects startups with hundreds of ecosystem partners, reducing duplication of effort and streamlining access to support resources throughout the entrepreneurial journey. Launch NY targets founders building scalable businesses in sectors including food and agriculture, manufacturing, technology, and life sciences, among others. Its co-founders and EIRs bring backgrounds from institutions such as Kodak, Gleason, Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Fordham University, Canisius College, and Fortune 500 companies. The organization is closely integrated with regional economic development infrastructure, including the Erie County Industrial Development Agency and the New York State Economic Development Council.