Rochester Business and Startup News
Upstate Technology, Innovation & Business Coverage

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTX) has raised approximately $20 million through an underwritten public offering, signaling continued investment activity in Rochester’s advanced manufacturing and optics sector. The company sold 2,857,142 shares of common stock at $7.00 per share. Gross proceeds from the offering totaled about $20 million before underwriting discounts, commissions, and other expenses. H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the sole book-runni

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A roughly $2 billion deal is set to accelerate the growth of one of Rochester’s most recognizable tech companies, as Greenlight Networks becomes part of a major national broadband expansion strategy. T-Mobile announced it will invest approximately $2 billion to acquire a 50% stake in a joint venture with Oak Hill Capital that combines Greenlight Networks with GoNetspeed, two of the largest independent fiber providers in the Northeast. The combined platform i

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Constellation Brands , one of the largest beverage alcohol companies in the United States and a cornerstone of Rochester’s corporate landscape, announced Thursday that Nicholas Fink will become its next President and Chief Executive Officer effective April 13, 2026. Fink will succeed Bill Newlands, who has served as President and CEO since 2019. Newlands will step down from the role on April 13 and remain as a strategic advisor for several months to support

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Business owners, procurement leaders, and public-sector buyers gathered Wednesday at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center for the 2026 Upstate New York Supplier Engagement Summit, a full-day event focused on expanding access, visibility, and opportunity for diverse suppliers across the region. Hosted in downtown Rochester, the summit brought together minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran–owned businesses with representatives from loc

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Reju , a textile-to-textile regeneration company backed by global engineering firm Technip Energies , has selected Rochester, New York, as the site of its first U.S.-based industrial-scale facility, marking a significant step in the company’s global expansion and the region’s growing role in sustainable manufacturing. The future facility, known as a Regeneration Hub, will be located on 18.9 acres at Eastman Business Park. Once operational, the site is expect

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Long before artificial intelligence, semiconductors, or advanced manufacturing became buzzwords, Rochester was already shaping the way the world sees, measures, and understands light. That work continues today through optics and photonics, industries that remain foundational to Rochester’s economy, workforce, and long-term relevance, even if they rarely make headlines. What Optics and Photonics Actually Mean At its core, optics is the science and engineerin

Rochester, N.Y. - From CES to Davos, a handful of global conferences shape what business will look like next. Rochester founders should be paying attention. Each year, thousands of executives, policymakers, founders, investors, and technologists converge at a small number of global conferences. These are not trade shows in the traditional sense. They are agenda-setting forums, places where industries align, capital finds direction, and narratives about the future of business

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Constellation Brands, one of the Rochester region’s most globally influential companies, reported its third-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results on Tuesday, reinforcing the company’s position as a leading force in the U.S. beverage alcohol market. The company announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Newlands and Chief Financial Officer Garth Hankinson will host a conference call Thursday, Jan. 8, at 10:30 a.m. ET to discuss results and outl

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In an era when most clothing worn in the United States is produced overseas, Rochester stands apart. Once known globally as a center of precision optics and imaging, the city also holds a lesser-known but increasingly rare distinction: it remains one of the last U.S. cities with the infrastructure, labor force, and institutional knowledge to produce men’s clothing. While the modern fashion conversation often centers on New York, Los Angeles, or Paris, Roche

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Connected Know is launching the Connected Know Business Book Club, a new monthly series designed to convene Rochester-area founders, executives, operators and growth-minded professionals for structured conversation, networking and shared learning. The series will debut in January 2026 and is hosted in partnership with Serendipity Labs Rochester at Innovation Center as part of a six-month venue and community collaboration. The book club will be held in per

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s coworking ecosystem has quietly evolved from a handful of shared offices into a diversified network of spaces serving everyone from startup founders and remote executives to women entrepreneurs and suburban professionals. As hybrid work settles in as a permanent feature of the modern economy, the region’s coworking operators are differentiating less on desks and more on community, specialization, and experience. A review of seven of the area’s mo

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Boutique fitness is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the health and wellness industry, with global revenues projected to climb into the tens of billions over the next decade. While national brands such as SoulCycle, Pure Barre and Club Pilates helped popularize the category with high-intensity classes and curated studio experiences, Rochester based boutique studios are competing head-to-head with the country’s biggest names. There are roughly 95 gyms an

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s tech leaders, founders, and innovators gathered at the Jackrabbit Club in Village Gate last night for a high-energy celebration of TechRiseRoc , TechRochester ’s mentorship-driven program designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs gain traction and grow. The event brought together established industry professionals and up-and-coming founders to celebrate TechRiseRoc, TechRochester's signature mentor–mentee matching program. The program pairs entr

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s startup and small-business community continues to shape how the region shops, celebrates, and invests in local founders. This year’s Connected Know Holiday Gift Guide brings together six Rochester-born companies making meaningful contributions to retail, culture, and community each offering something thoughtful, original, and unmistakably local. Second Look Boutique Category: Fashion & Lifestyle Where to Shop: In-store + Online One of Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Constellation Brands is extending its reach into one of the most powerful ecosystems in American sports as Ruffino Prosecco , one of its signature wine labels, becomes a Proud Partner of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide for the 2025–26 athletic season. The one-year agreement places Ruffino inside the heart of SEC football culture, aligning the Italian sparkling wine with a program known for national titles, high visibility, and a fiercely loyal fanbase