Launch NY Newsletter – October 2017

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Launch NY

Launch NY News & Updates Upcoming Events

Launch NY Seed Fund Has Invested in 17 Upstate NY Startups


Launch NY recently announced 7 new investments in local startups, bringing the total Launch NY Seed Fund portfolio to 17 companies with over $650,000 in investments. Upstate NY is full of innovative entrepreneurs looking to disrupt their industries, including Farther Farms, one of our latest investments, whose patented technology can extend the shelf life of produce without preservatives, chemicals, freezing, or refrigeration. The goal of the donation and grant based Launch NY Seed Fund is to provide funding to startups at the riskiest phase of development and help bring these innovations to market. Read more on Farther Farms and on our 6 other recent investments in the full press release.


Launch NY Awarded $168,000 by U.S. Department of the Treasury


Last month Launch NY was among only 5 venture capital organizations in the US awarded by the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to fill regional gaps in access to proof-of-concept venture funding. This award comes at critical time when the demand for our support resources is greater than ever as the most active seed fund in Upstate NY. This federal funding adds to the recently announced private sector support through the Viaduct award of $150,000 to grow Launch NY’s investments in our region’s most promising startups. Read more in the full press release.


Join the #LaunchHour TwitterChat October 18th at Noon to Learn the Path through Investment Capital Rounds


Are you wondering if you’re raising seed funding or an A or B round? Do you know what your fundraising path looks like? Let our investor panel help demystify this journey for you by joining us on Wednesday, October 18th #LaunchHour: Know Your ABC’s – Game Planning for Your Investment Rounds! Our panelists include Launch NY COO & Fund Manager, Lindsay Stencel, Bela Musits, and more.


First Chloe Capital Accelerator Program Features Launch NY on Due Diligence Panel


Launch NY President and CEO, Marnie LaVigne, will be part of the investment due diligence panel at Chloe Capital’s inaugural one day accelerator program October 25-26 in New Paltz for women interested in learning more about making an impact through investing in women entrepreneurs. Chloe Capital is a new early stage venture capital firm focused on inclusive investing in women founders and led by serial Upstate NY entrepreneur, Elisa Miller-Out, who successfully exited her software services company, Singlebrook, among her numerous entrepreneurial endeavors over the past 20 years. The accelerator also features five female-led tech startups who will compete for funding and a chance to present to Astia Angels the following week for a potential co-investment. Investors, startups, and sponsors can request an invitation to the event here.


October 18, 2017
#LaunchHour TwitterChat: Planning Investment Rounds
12:00 – 1:00 PM


October 17, 2017
REV Connect ‘17
New York, NY


October 18, 2017
Money Smarts Lunch and Learn Series
12:00 – 3:00 PM
Syracuse, NY


October 24, 2017
SBA Loans: Overview and Application Process
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Binghamton, NY


October 25 – 26, 2017
The Chloe Capital Investor Accelerator
Featuring Marnie LaVigne
New Paltz, NY


October 30 – 31, 2017
MedTech 2017: DisruptNY
Buffalo, NY


November 1, 2017
RocGrowth Candids
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Rochester, NY


November 15 – 16, 2017
FuzeHub Commercialization Competition
Albany, NY


November 15, 2017
#LaunchHour TwitterChat
12:00 – 1:00 PM

 

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Startup Spotlight

My Special Days is Changing How Businesses Connect with Their Customers

Meet one of Launch NY’s newest seed fund portfolio companies. Reward, surprise, and delight your current and new customers on birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, new home, engagement day, all holidays, graduations, and over 60 landmark days to choose from throughout the year! My Special Days completely automates, personalizes, and customizes the entire process to send surprise promotions and offers on special occasions. You’ll never have to set up one email or push notification because My Special Days does all the work. The mission for My Special Days to help businesses connect with consumers through all their stages in life no matter how old they are when they start.

“The support from Launch NY has been life changing! My Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), Steve Nicosia has been by my side each step of the way with helping through my business plan to connect me with resources that I never knew existed.  I know have the confidence that I can build a multimillion dollar business due to Steve’s mentorship and guidance. Steve guided me through the seed fund process to raise money through Launch NY. I can proudly say that I now have an investor in Launch NY that affords me the resources to keep going after my dream!”


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#LaunchHour TwitterChat Tips Launch NY Resources
LaunchHour TwitterChats are monthly virtual chats featuring important topics for startups and entrepreneurs. Join us monthly to hear from industry experts on our panel. If you missed us you can view our past TwitterChats in our archive and checkout some great tips from previous months below!

September 20, 2017
#LaunchHour: Entrepreneurs Paying it Forward

View the whole chat on Storify.

Q2. We’ve heard so much about paying it forward. What does it mean for entrepreneurs to pay it forward?

  • Viaduct (@MyViaduct) – Help other entrepreneurs as best you can. Not really paying it forward, just being helpful. #LaunchHour
  • Eisa Miller-Out (@ElisaMillerOut) – Give first without expectation of immediate return. This can be through mentoring, judging, volunteering, building community. #LaunchHour
  • Dan Magnuszewski (@magnachef) – It’s realizing that you got to where you are now through the help and generosity of other people & you need to reciprocate #LaunchHour

Q4. How can mentoring from a season entrepreneur help new startups succeed?

  • Elisa Miller-Out (@ElisaMillerOut) – Mentors can help by sharing their network, intros, resources, strategies, and ideas with startups #LaunchHour
  • Dan Magnuszewski (@magnachef) – It allows you to learn from their mistakes so you don’t have to make the same ones (you can make different mistakes) #LaunchHour
  • Ben Reilley (@WeDrinkLife) – Mentoring helps limit mistakes, grow network, and allow the entrepreneur to be much more efficient in starting their business

Find more great #LaunchHour TwitterChats tips in our archive!

Join us for our next #LaunchHour TwitterChat October 18, 2017!

Upstate NY Resource Network
 Check it out here >


Upstate NY Rainforest Canvas Study
 Check it out here >


5 Business Stages – Where are you?

Each stage contains critical deliverables for moving forward. Starting with the Explore stage, see where you are on the path to success.
 Find out here >


Entrepreneur Toolkit 
The toolkit is a set of templates and links designed to help start, launch and grow your business in upstate New York.
 Check it out here >


Is Launch NY a fit for you?
Launch NY provides entrepreneurs experienced mentoring using best practice processes and connections to specialized resources both in and beyond the Upstate NY ecosystem.Thus preparing you to compete for and win the funding and additional resources needed to move forward.  Apply Now! >

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Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Introduction
Meet Brian Buaer

Brian Bauer is the Program Director for clean energy programs with Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement. Brian runs 76West, NYSERDA’s clean energy business competition, and he is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Southern Tier Startup Alliance. Brian is a seasoned international energy industry executive with extensive experience in oil, natural gas, chemicals, and renewables and ran several international businesses during a 30-year career in the energy industry.

Read more about Brian and our other EIRs on our website.

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