FoodNerd is a Buffalo, NY-based, woman-owned food startup producing organic, nutrient-dense snack puffs made from 100% fruits, vegetables, and sprouted seeds targeted at toddlers. The company closed a $7.5 million Series Seed round and, as of 2025, operates a 30,000 sq. ft. FDA-registered production facility in Clarence, NY.

Commercial

Offerwell is a Buffalo, NY-based real estate technology company that provides brokerages, MLSs, and agents a shared operating layer for listing, showing, offer, and follow-up workflows. The company graduated from UB's Cultivator program and raised pre-seed funding in 2023 to expand into Rochester and Syracuse markets.

Commercial

ACV Auctions is a Buffalo, NY-based digital automotive marketplace and data services platform that enables dealers to source used vehicle inventory through online auctions. The company expanded its Buffalo operations with support from New York State, reinforcing its position as a leading dealer-to-dealer wholesale marketplace.

AlbaNYlabs LLC is a CLIA-certified, high-complexity molecular diagnostics laboratory based in Albany, New York, providing COVID-19 and other molecular testing services. The company operates out of 260 Washington Avenue Extension, Suite 101, Albany, NY.

AlphaSense is a market intelligence and search platform that uses AI to help enterprises extract actionable insights from financial and business content, consolidating over 500 million premium documents into an integrated workflow for investment and strategic decision-making.

BosonQ Psi (now operating as BQP) is a Syracuse, NY-based quantum computing software company whose platform leverages quantum approaches for system optimization, physics simulations, and large-scale AI/ML workloads on high-performance computers. Backed by Armory Square Ventures, BQP was named Upstate Capital's venture deal of the year for 2025.

Other Real Estate

Kodak's former medical-imaging business — X-ray film, computed/digital radiography, PACS. Sold by Eastman Kodak to Onex Corporation (private equity) in 2007; HQ Rochester, NY.

CleanFiber is a Buffalo, NY-based manufacturer of high-performance cellulose insulation made from recycled corrugated cardboard boxes and other clean fiber sources. The company operates a state-of-the-art production facility in Buffalo with annual capacity of over 3 million bags of insulation. CleanFiber's liquid-enhanced manufacturing process produces what it markets as the purest and best-performing cellulose insulation available.

Southern-Tier materials-science leader — optical fiber and Gorilla Glass (the cover glass on most smartphones).

Corning Glass Works' research operation, tracing to its first dedicated research department in 1908 and consolidated at the Sullivan Park campus starting 1965. Developed Pyrex (1915) and, in 1970, the first practical low-loss optical fiber (Robert Maurer, Donald Keck, Peter Schultz) -- the physical medium the modern internet's long-haul backbone still runs on. Gorilla Glass followed decades later.

Datadog provides cloud monitoring and observability software for infrastructure, applications, and logs.

Dimien was a Buffalo, NY-based battery and clean energy technology startup that originated in a University at Buffalo lab. The company developed advanced battery and chemical manufacturing solutions in the clean energy sector. In October 2024, Dimien was acquired by Pure Lithium, a Boston-based lithium metal battery firm, marking a milestone for the Western New York clean tech ecosystem.

Rochester imaging giant; the optics/photonics legacy under upstate NY's photonics cluster.

Edenesque is a Buffalo, NY-based plant-based dairy startup that produces chef-crafted products including pistachio milk and oat milk blends designed for coffee and culinary use. The company relocated its headquarters to Buffalo following investment from Launch NY, which invested $175,000 in April 2024. Edenesque is a mission-driven brand focused on premium plant-based alternatives.