At UpVentures, two of our main goals are to 1) help make it easier for early-stage Upstate NY companies to connect with the right capital providers and 2) help Upstate NY companies connect with corporate venture capital units in an effort to accelerate their time to market and grow their businesses.
Upstate NY already has all of the resources in place for early-stage companies to 1) develop and grow their businesses through incubator and accelerator programs, and 2) raise capital through seed and institutional venture capital funds as well as accredited angel investors. Organizations such as Upstate Venture Connect have emerged to help increase connectivity between early-stage companies and capital providers around the Upstate NY region.
Pathways to all of the different entities mentioned above, however, are not clearly defined and most early-stage capital providers limit their investment focus to companies located in their particular region.
The UpVentures Investor Network (UIN) includes not only the dozen + fund relationships that we are active as Limited Partner and/or Advisors, but also hundreds of investors we have contact with through Upstate Venture Connect and corporate venture capital units. Since these investors cover a wide range of opportunities that are beyond the categories UpVentures invests in, entrepreneurs are welcome to complete our company application and should we spot a match, be authorized to pass your information along to other investors in our network.
The UIN leverages a tech-enabled platform to help make it easier for Upstate NY entrepreneurs raising capital to connect with accredited angel investors and corporate venture capital firms. We are looking to work with people we know well and have some affiliation with through one of the seed and venture capital funds Martin Babinec serves as a Limited Partner on, Upstate Venture Connect, the Upstate Capital Association of New York, or through another entity we are involved in.
Benefits of joining UIN include:
All UIN members are expected to annually confirm their status as an SEC Accredited Investor and be actively involved in the UIN community. UpVentures has no intention of taking carried interest on any deal invested through the UIN. UIN members will make their own investment decisions with UpVentures holding no liability for any investments made by UIN members.
If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out to Michael Sciotti and we will gladly answer your questions. If you are ready to apply, apply here so we can learn more about your investment interests to better connect you with deals in your sweet spot.