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UPNY Ventures

Venture capital

Albany · Pre-Seed · 3 people tracked

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Investment thesis

UPNY Ventures focuses on New York-based, university-incubated technology startups, pairing venture investment with a structured GTM Commercialization Engine. The firm aims to help nascent technologies build commercial evidence, reduce market risk, and become more investable. It targets the earliest stages, providing pre-seed capital alongside go-to-market support spanning commercialization, operations, talent, and company building, positioning itself as a bridge from New York's technical innovation to enterprise commercial growth.

Source: firm website, verified Oct 11, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed
Check
$75K – $200K
HQ
Albany, US
Instruments
Equity

Team · 3 people

from the firm's website
Allan· Founderin

A five-time founder and startup operator with 20 years of experience guiding early-stage companies from formation through venture-backed growth, with a background in commercialization, GTM strategy, operations, talent, and company building across pre-seed to Series A+ stages.

Allan Von Schenkel· Founding Directorin

Five-time founder with two exits and a GTM engineer who architected the UPNY Commercialization Engine. His venture background includes DataTribe Ventures and supporting 20 startups from pre-seed through Series C. Holds a BA/MA from Michigan State University.

Chuck Stormon· Managing Directorin

Co-founder of 8 companies with six venture-backed exits and co-founder of StartFast Ventures, where he served as GP across Fund I and II making investment selections on 57 deals. Brings four decades in AI and was formerly Director of Advanced Technology at AIS. Holds a BS/MS in Computer Engineering from Syracuse.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does UPNY Ventures invest at?
UPNY Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed stage.
What is UPNY Ventures's typical check size?
UPNY Ventures typically writes checks of $75K – $200K.
What sectors does UPNY Ventures focus on?
UPNY Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Deep Tech, Energy, Enterprise Software, Healthtech, New Materials, Quantum Computing, Robotics, Semiconductors.
Where is UPNY Ventures located?
UPNY Ventures is headquartered in Albany, US.

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UPNY Ventures photo

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