🦊/Investors

Launch NY

Impact investor

Buffalo · Pre-Seed–Seed · 5 people tracked

Find your way into Launch NY

3,114 people in our graph share verified history with the Launch NY team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

David Brownunlockedknows Mel Passarelli · together at 3Am Innovations (overlapped)
knows the team · via 3Am Innovations
knows the team · via Qlik
knows the team · via Launch NY
×8knows the team · via Mendoza Ventures
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Investment thesis

Launch NY focuses on driving innovation, job creation, and regional economic growth across Upstate New York by helping early-stage founders become investment ready. It pairs high-growth startups with pro bono mentoring from industry experts and provides seed capital dedicated exclusively to Upstate NY companies. Through its funds and Investor Network, it connects entrepreneurs with additional partners and capital providers, reporting significant follow-on funding for its portfolio. As a mission-driven, community-oriented investor supported by mentors, donors, and funders, Launch NY aims to build a vibrant regional startup ecosystem and expand access to the resources founders need to scale.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
Check
$200K – $1M
HQ
Buffalo, NY, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity · Grants
Founded
2014
Last 12 months
2 investments
AUM
$260K
Tracked investments
107

Team · 5 people

from curated & public directories

Founder mafia

3 people who came through Launch NY went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 83 of 107 portfolio companies

SaaS ×21Healthtech ×20Consumer ×17Digital Health ×14Hardware ×13Wellness & Fitness ×13Direct to Consumer ×12AI & Machine Learning ×11

HQs:United States×34

Who they back

founder profiles across 42 portfolio companies
76%
solo founders
32 of 42 mapped founding teams
24%
repeat founders
of 33 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×322 founders×73 founders×24+ founders×1

Where their founders studiedfrom 32 founders with education data

Cornell ×4Rochester Institute of Technology ×4Columbia University ×2Harvard University ×2University at Buffalo ×2University of Rochester - Simon Business School ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 33 founders with field-of-study data

Business & Management ×10Computer Science ×4Medicine ×4Engineering ×3Finance & Accounting ×3Politics & Policy ×3Chemistry ×2Design & Architecture ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 33 founders with career history

Cornell ×4LOGISTIKOS ENGINEERING LLC ×2University of Rochester Medical Center ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Techstars ×5

8 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 35 with degree data)

Investments · 107 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 12025 · 12024 · 12023 · 32021 · 12020 · 18 dated

3Am Innovations3aminnovations.comin𝕏

3AM Innovations builds incident management technology for emergency response and event coordination, including a mobile app and deployable field kits.

Defense TechHardwareSaaSBuffalo, US

Katie Sullivan(Executive Officer)inMel Passarelli(Executive Officer, Director)inRyan Litt(Executive Officer, Director)Patrick O'Connor(Executive Officer, Promoter)Tom Dalfonso(Executive Officer)

BoardDaniel J. DiPofi(Director)

Co-investorsOUTBOUND CAPITALWNY Impact Investment FundThird Sphere

Adaptivewavesadaptivewaves.com

Adaptive Waves develops smart coating technology, validated and advanced through NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II grants.

CleantechDeep TechHardwareNew MaterialsSpace Tech

Agapégetdailyagape.com𝕏

Agapé is a mobile app designed to strengthen romantic relationships through daily personalized questions that spark meaningful conversation between couples.

ConsumerHealthtechWellness & FitnessRochester, US

Kadie Okwudili(Founder)inRon Rogge(Founder)

Co-investorsY Combinator

Agri-Trakagri-trak.comin𝕏Apr 2023

Agri-Trak provides a cloud-based farm operations platform for small family farms to track labor, crop yield, and costs in real-time.

AgTechCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureSaaSWilliamson, US

Jamie Sonneville(Founder)in

Co-investorsTechstars

Airexpertairexpert.netin𝕏

AireXpert provides a knowledge exchange and collaboration platform for the global aviation and aerospace technical community, connecting maintenance professionals, airline operators, and MRO companies to share expertise and best practices.

Enterprise SoftwareMobility & TransportationSaaS

Andy Hakes(Founder)in

Co-investorsReformation Partners

Anaghe Atelieranagheatelier.comJun 2021

Anaghe Atelier makes made-to-order clothing and accessories, including designer sweatshirts, vintage printed and graphic tees, and Apple Watch bands, card cases, and key fobs crafted from upcycled luxury handbags.

Circular EconomyDirect to ConsumerE-commerceBuffalo, US

Arbolgrowarbol.comin𝕏

Arbol is a student financial success platform that helps higher education institutions improve enrollment, retention, and completion by guiding students through financial aid decisions and requirements.

EdTechFintechImpact & Social GoodSaaSBuffalo, US

Siddhartha Jha(Executive Officer, Director)inBen Andre(Executive Officer, Director)Osho Jha(Executive Officer)Philippe Heilberg(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsBrass Ring VenturesTechstarsVC 414WNY Impact Investment Fund

Aurielivewithaurie.com

Aurie designs a reusable intermittent catheter system intended to reduce infection risk and improve ease of use compared with single-use catheters.

HealthtechMedical DevicesWellness & FitnessNew York City, US

Souvik Paul(CEO)in

Co-investorsDorm Room

Avantguardincavantguardinc.comin

AvantGuard, a Cornell University spin-out originally founded as Halomine, develops N-halamine-based antimicrobial and surface-protection technology aimed at combating pathogens including the fungus Candida (Candidozyma) auris.

BiotechHealthtechNew Materials

Edward S. Eveleth(CEO)Marc Hein(CTO)inMichael Newell(VP of Sales and Marketing)in

Aviateaudioaviateaudio.comin

Aviate Audio makes Multiverse, a customizable digital effects pedal for musicians that runs a downloadable library of audio effects created by various developers and brands.

ConsumerHardware

Shane Nolanin

Azunafreshazunafresh.com

Azuna makes air care products that use pure organic Australian tea tree oil in gel form to neutralize household odors for up to 90 days, without harsh chemicals or heavy perfumes.

Advanced ManufacturingConsumerDirect to ConsumerBuffalo, US

Scott Dancy(Executive Officer, Director)

Beautybuzztheappbeautybuzztheapp.com

Beauty Buzz is a mobile app that connects beauty shoppers with beauty professionals for real-time appointment booking, helping pros fill open spots and clients discover and book services.

ConsumerMarketplacesWellness & Fitness

Bettermyndbettermynd.comin𝕏

BetterMynd is a teletherapy service providing online mental health counseling to college students through partnerships with campuses.

Digital HealthEdTechHealthtechMental Health

Cody Semrau(Founder)in

Co-investorsBread And Butter Ventures, LlcFigure 8 Investments

Big Daddy Garden Companybigdaddygardencompany.com

Big Daddy Garden Company sells gardening tools and equipment for homeowners, including its Big Daddy Garden Caddy, a multi-function yard cart with a built-in hose, sprayer, water storage, seating, and kneeling pad, along with spades, trowels, and gloves.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Laura R. Whitby(Founder)in

Braidbabesbraidbabes.com

BraidBabes is a mobile hair-braiding service whose stylists travel to the customer's location to create custom braids, specializing in boho braids for events and weddings and offering braid and shimmer parties.

Consumer

Breezi Probreezi-pro.io

BreeziPro provides predictive maintenance technology for commercial HVAC systems, using its AirPulse wireless IoT device and AirAssurance software to monitor air filter condition, equipment health, and indoor air quality.

CleantechIoTPropTechResearch Triangle Park, US

Bridgegreenupcyclebridgegreenupcycle.comin

Bridge Green Upcycle develops proprietary technology for lithium-ion battery recycling, including battery health monitoring, second-life applications, and the extraction of black mass and precursor materials.

Circular EconomyCleantechEnergy

Balakrishnan G. Iyer(Founder & CEO)

CAHill TECHcahilltech.comin𝕏

CAHill TECH develops aQuiRe, a mobile app platform with safety and skills training videos for construction workers.

Construction TechEdTechHR TechSaaSAkron, US

Carley Hill(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsTechstarsWNY Impact Investment FundNCT Ventures

Cahillresourcescahillresources.com

CaHill Resources is a certified WBE, DBE, and WOSB provider of site contracting services and equipment rental, with a focus on heavy highway and civil construction.

Construction Tech

Carbontostonecarbontostone.comin

Revora Materials operates a technology platform that recovers critical minerals such as magnesium, nickel, manganese, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements from industrial byproducts and ores, including mine tailings, slag, and cement-making residues.

Circular EconomyCleantechNew Materials

CareTech Humancaretechhuman.cominOct 2023

CareTech Human develops a remote urinalysis device (UroWell) using optical sensing, microchips, and cloud processing to let urologists monitor and assess patient condition without frequent office visits.

Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesIthaca, US

Denys Matsui(Executive Officer, Director)Dr. Dan Matsui(Founder and CEO)inOleksandr Korobov(Chief Technical Officer)inJohn De Caro(Chief Medical Officer)inOlena Rapoport(Chief Clinical Research Officer)inIrina Belenkaya(Chief Operating Officer)in

Casanacasanacare.comin

Casana Care makes the Smart Seat, a toilet-mounted biometric monitoring device that tracks vital signs like heart rate, blood oxygen, and blood pressure trends for personal wellness tracking.

HardwareHealthtechIoTMedical DevicesWellness & FitnessRochester, US

Nick Connin

Co-investorsGeneral CatalystOutsidersMatrixNCT Ventures

Circuit Clinicalcircuitclinical.comin

Circuit Clinical describes its team culture, employee benefits, and hiring, but the page provides no concrete detail about its products or services.

BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechBuffalo, US

Irfan Khan(Executive Officer, Director)inKerry R. Hicks(Director)Jackie Kent(Director)Craig Lipset(Director)Katherine Sullivan(Executive Officer)Kevin Christner(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsWNY Impact Investment Fund

Combined Energiescombined-energies.com

Combined Energies develops proprietary power conversion products for OEM customers and end users in the energy storage, renewables, electric vehicle, and alternative energy markets.

CleantechEnergyHardwareRochester, US

John Vogel(Managing Member)Rhonda Staudt(Treasurer and Manager)Mark Sperry(President and Manager)

Cyrismacyrisma.comin𝕏

Cyrisma provides a unified cybersecurity platform combining attack surface, vulnerability, data, and compliance management, including asset discovery and patching, in a single multi-tenant tool.

Cloud ComputingCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Co-investorsBlueprint EquityGolden Ventures

Dentitedentite.comin

Dentite provides an AI-driven medical billing service for dental practices, automating the process of billing medical insurance for medically necessary and preventive dental procedures to generate additional revenue.

AI & Machine LearningFintechHealthtechBuffalo, US

Petar Tofovic(CEO & Co-founder)inXENIA RICHTER(Executive Officer, Director)inDANIEL RICHTER(Executive Officer, Director)JEROD SIKORSKYJ(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsStone Mountain Ventures

Diabetechdiabetech.ioin

DiabeTech develops an AI-powered biosensor sock and mobile platform to detect diabetic foot complications and ulcers at an early stage, serving patients and healthcare providers.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesNew York, US

Tosin Alabi(Founder & CEO)in

Diademcapitaldiademcapital.comin

Diadem operates a curated deal-flow platform that connects startups with funds, family offices, lenders, and angel investors through AI and human filtering.

AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS

Joe Hammill(Founder)in

Dimensional Energydimensionalenergy.comin

Dimensional Energy develops catalyst and service technology for producing sustainable fuels, licensed to project partners through a recurring, capital-light licensing model.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyNew MaterialsIthaca, US

Tobias Hanrath(Director)David Erickson(Director)inJason Salfi(Executive Officer, Director)inClayton Poppe(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsBeni Venture CapitalChloe CapitalNew Climate VenturesDSC InvestmentEarthshot VenturesEnvisioning Partners+2 more

Dimiendimien.com𝕏
Eaglehawkeaglehawk.ioin𝕏

EagleHawk operates a facilities intelligence platform that combines aerial imaging, expert analysis, and data management tools to help organizations monitor building conditions and manage assets.

Construction TechEnergyPropTechBuffalo, US

Jonathan Byrd(Executive Officer, Director)inPatrick Walsh(Executive Officer, Director)inWillard Schulmeister(Executive Officer)

BoardJoseph Weiss(Director)

Co-investorsGENIUS NY

Eatmeicecreameatmeicecream.com𝕏

Eat Me makes plant-based, vegan-certified non-dairy ice cream with simple ingredients and rotating flavors, sold to consumers across Upstate New York and the East Coast.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechRochester, US

Ecolectroecolectro.comin𝕏

Ecolectro is an e-commerce site providing information on goods and services, with the ability for users to contact the company and sign up for a mailing list.

CleantechClimate TechE-commerceEnergyIthaca, US

Kristina M. Hugar(Executive Officer, Director)inGabriel G. Rodríguez-Calero(Founder)inZinovia Spezakis(Executive Officer)Jon Gordon(Executive Officer)

BoardRobert W. Shaw(Director)Lisa Coca(Director)in

Co-investorsNew Climate VenturesStarshotTechstarsAsymmetric Capital PartnersToyota Ventures

Edenesqueedenesque.comin

Edenesque makes chef-crafted plant-based dairy products, including oat milk and barista blend pistachio milk, sold direct-to-consumer.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechBuffalo, US

Leslie Woodward(Founder)in

Energyguardenergyguard.aiin

energyGuard Hub is a smart thermostat that lets users control their home heating remotely and is marketed as reducing average heating bills.

CleantechEnergyIoT

Farther Farmsfartherfarms.comin𝕏

Farther Farms develops technology to make shelf-stable versions of traditionally frozen or refrigerated foods, allowing distribution without cold-chain infrastructure.

Deep TechFoodTech

Vipul Saran(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)in

Co-investorsDorm RoomSiddhi Capital

Feelohfeeloh.coin

Feeloh is a consumer app that acts as a personal social assistant to help adults plan and organize activities and shared experiences with friends, such as restaurant visits, classes, and hikes.

ConsumerSocial

Alexia(Founder)

Ferric Contrastferric-contrast.com

Ferric Contrast develops iron-based MRI contrast agents intended to produce high-quality magnetic resonance images of the brain, vasculature, liver, kidneys, and cancer-related tumors.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Forbitterforworseforbitterforworse.com

For Bitter For Worse makes non-alcoholic cocktails using certified organic botanicals, offered directly to consumers including via a subscription option.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Fret Zealotfretzealot.com𝕏

Fret Zealot, operated by Zealot Interactive Inc., develops software and hardware products for music education.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerEdTechHardware

John Tollyin

Co-investorsImpellent Ventures

Gcliprowgcliprow.com𝕏

GCLIProw makes GCLIP Drive, a rowing shoe-clip system that clips in and out of footboards and erg machines for use on the water or at the gym.

Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyHardwareSports TechBuffalo, US

Getwellconnectedgetwellconnected.co

Well Connected develops Allco, a modular care coordination platform that lets community-based organizations share resources, service information, and patient data with role-based and data-element-level access controls.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaS

Duane Conners(CEO)

Co-investorsBrown and White Ventures

Grainfulgrainful.com

The page presents BIRUTOTO, an Indonesian-language online slot gambling platform offering various popular slot games (such as Gates of Olympus and Mahjong Ways 2) with integrated account transactions and customer support.

Gaming

Co-investorsRed Bear AngelsCircleUpRand Capital

Heatinverseheatinverse.comin𝕏

Heat Inverse develops cooling technology aimed at reducing emissions, drawing on expertise in mid-infrared photonics and metamaterials.

CleantechClimate TechDeep TechNew Materials

Romy Fain(Chief Executive Officer, Founder)inFrancesco Monticone(Chief Science Officer)

HELIXintelhelixintel.comin𝕏

HelixIntel offers HelixCMMS, a computerized maintenance management platform for maintenance and facilities teams to run work orders, preventive maintenance, and asset tracking, and HelixPrevent, a risk-prevention suite for insurance carriers, pools, and programs.

InsurTechPropTechSaaSBuffalo, US

Jonathan DeWald(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Mainier(Executive Officer, Director)inMatt Rutter(Executive Officer)inBrian Sullivan(Executive Officer)inEmily Mainier(Executive Officer)in

BoardPradeep Tagare(Director)in

Co-investorsGreen Egg VenturesLAB VenturesStellifiMotivate Venture CapitalMOTIVATE VENTURESMunich Re Ventures+1 more

HUEY Suncarehueysuncare.com

Huey Suncare makes daily SPF 30 sunscreen lotion offered in five shades based on the Fitzpatrick skin typing scale, designed to provide sun protection across different skin tones.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness

Justin(Founder)

Intelli Funintelli-fun.com

Intelli-Fun makes interactive learning games designed for early childhood and elementary education, with content developed alongside educators to cover STEM subjects.

ConsumerEdTechGaming

Jecabarjecabar.com

JECA makes gluten-free nutrition and snack bars formulated with healthy fats, fiber, protein, and antioxidants, free of refined sugar, soy, dairy, and oils.

Direct to ConsumerFoodTechWellness & Fitness

Ree Dolnick(Founder)

Joinnarajoinnara.com

Nara offers a workplace mental health platform combining licensed therapy, guided meditation, AI-assisted chat support, and self-care tools with an organization dashboard showing aggregated engagement and wellbeing trends.

Digital HealthMental HealthWellness & Fitness

Perez Willie-Nwobu(CEO)

Kool Nerd Connectkoolnerdconnect.com

Kool Nerd Connect provides career education programs and coursework designed to prepare diverse students for in-demand jobs in high-growth industries, including healthcare and technical fields.

EdTechFuture of WorkHR Tech

Orane Barret(Founder, CEO)

Layermetricsinclayermetricsinc.comin

LayerMetrics develops opto-photonic sensing and metrology technology for real-time optical measurement and process control.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardware

Clare(Owner & Co-Founder, CEO)inDom(Co-Founder & CTO)in

Co-investorsThe Innovation Space

Melanin Skyn Comelaninskynco.com

Melanin Skyn Co. is a skincare brand offering products formulated for sensitive and eczema-prone skin across all melanin tones, along with hair care items.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness

Ashley V. Nicole(Founder)

Memoryfoxmemoryfox.ioin𝕏

MemoryFox is a storytelling platform that helps mission-driven organizations capture and share community-generated content and personal stories.

Impact & Social GoodMarketing TechSaaSKenmore, US

Chris Miano(Founder and CEO)inJacob Balon(Director)

Navigatemdnavigatemd.com

NavigateMD operates a platform that connects people with disabilities and their families to medical providers, businesses, non-profit organizations, and other resources matched to their needs.

Digital HealthHealthtechMarketplaces

Noshiforkidsnoshiforkids.comin

Noshi sells natural-colored and natural-flavored frosting sets for children, marketed as a way to address picky eating.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Tomo Delaney-Lethbridge(Founder)in

Nudge Moneynudgemoney.com

Nudge analyzes core banking data, depositor behavior, and market context to surface prioritized opportunities and generate executive briefs, marketing campaigns, and branch call queues for financial institutions.

AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS

Offdutyblueoffdutyblue.com𝕏

Off Duty Blue is a cloud-based scheduling platform for law enforcement agencies to manage overtime and off-duty detail assignments, coordinating coordinators, officers, department leadership, and security clients.

GovTechSaaS

Ognomy Sleepognomy.comin𝕏

Ognomy Sleep is a virtual platform providing end-to-end sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment through licensed sleep medicine specialists.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaSBuffalo, US

Daniel Rifkin(Founder & CEO)Greg Ross(Founder)inJune Seliber-Klein(Executive Officer)inPeter Grandits Jr.(Executive Officer, Director)inKen Rosenfeld(Executive Officer)in

BoardDavid Brown(Director)in

Co-investorsCatalyst InvestorsBlue Heron CapitalExcell PartnersImpellent Ventures

P1Stonp1ston.com

P1ston offers AI-powered SaaS for managing inbound supply chains, tracking open purchase orders and automating PO acknowledgements, ASNs, supplier spreadsheets, and RFQs.

AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Panacheezapanacheeza.comin

Panacheeza makes a dairy-free, plant-based grated parmesan cheese alternative made from five ingredients (organic cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Himalayan pink sea salt, and apple cider vinegar), sold in Original, Truffle, and Hot & Spicy varieties.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Janessa Steenberg(Founder)in

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

AccutheranosticsAGR HealthALL DreamsBeauty BuzzBetapatterncirclestarCivataDIPITDipitbrandEmpeqExostellarFeedBack SolutionsMaterialexchangeModern Planet, IncMymodernplanetNara MindNordetectSmart Start PlusTheirstoryYallah MedicalYoudleYoudleitYour Mom LLC/ Feeloh

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Launch NY made?
Launch NY has 107 tracked investments, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Launch NY invest at?
Launch NY invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is Launch NY's typical check size?
Launch NY typically writes checks of $200K – $1M.
What sectors does Launch NY focus on?
Launch NY focuses on Biotech, Cleantech, Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Launch NY located?
Launch NY is headquartered in Buffalo, US.
Does Launch NY lead rounds?
Launch NY typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does Launch NY co-invest with?
Launch NY most often shares deals with Techstars, WNY Impact Investment Fund, Brown and White Ventures, among 44 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

from their channel

APEX Accelerator Information Session

Launch NY

Building Your Financial Acumen

Launch NY

Corporate & Strategic Partnerships in Cleantech

Launch NY

AI Moats in Climate Tech: Venture Capitalist – Startup Founder Dialogue

Launch NY

Financial Wellbeing for Entrepreneurs with Impressia Bank

Launch NY

Anatomy of a Deal: Founder, Equity Investor, Lender

Launch NY

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