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

Rochester, N.Y. - Raising capital is often framed as a milestone, an announcement-worthy achievement marked by press releases, congratulatory posts, and celebratory headlines. But for most founders, the reality is far less polished. Capital raising is not a single moment; it is a prolonged, operationally demanding process that tests clarity of vision, depth of preparation, and personal resilience. For early-stage founders, particularly those outside major venture hubs, unders

BROCKPORT, N.Y. — After spending more than a decade teaching English to students around the world, found herself ready for a new challenge. Today, she is the founder of VerbaVista , an early-stage EdTech company launched in 2025 that aims to help English-language educators plan lessons more effectively using technology built by teachers, for teachers. LaScala-Lodato’s path to entrepreneurship was anything but conventional. A native of Port Jefferson, New York, she earned a ba

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. — A new wave of Rochester's startups is redefining what innovation looks like in the region. Long known for its legacy in imaging, optics and precision manufacturing, the region is now leveraging that foundation to build a modern startup ecosystem, one anchored by a growing network of incubators and accelerators designed to help founders turn ideas into companies. For executives, emerging founders, investors and business leaders looking to understand where inn

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In a startup ecosystem often defined by accelerators, incubators, and capital programs, Springboard NY  occupies a different and increasingly important role. Rather than backing individual startups, Springboard NY invests in the infrastructure around entrepreneurship, helping regions like Rochester build stronger, more connected innovation economies. Launched as a regional initiative serving Western New York, Springboard NY focuses on ecosystem-building: fun

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Long before venture capital became a mainstream career path, Pavan Kumar Tallavajhula was building startups at the edge of the internet’s first wave. Today, as a partner at 3pmVentures , Tallavajhula brings nearly three decades of global operating, investing, and advisory experience to Rochester’s growing startup ecosystem. Founded in 2018, 3pmVentures focuses on early-stage startup investing and strategic advisory, drawing on Tallavajhula’s background in te

Rochester, NY - Founders navigating the early stages of company building are often encouraged to “join a program.” But not all programs are created equal and choosing the wrong one can cost time, equity, control, and credibility. Incubators, accelerators, and venture studios each play a distinct role in the startup ecosystem. At their best, they compress learning cycles, reduce execution risk, and expand access to capital and customers. At their worst, they monetize founder a

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. — As more small businesses compete for attention in an increasingly crowded digital landscape, Hannah Lavigne has built a business around helping brands stand out with clarity and intention. As the owner and head designer of Sage James Creative , Lavigne works with entrepreneurs and small businesses to translate their ideas into cohesive websites, branding, and digital identities. Founded in 2019, Sage James Creative is a website design and branding studio ser

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. — Rochester and the broader Finger Lakes region are quietly assembling the components of a nationally relevant AgTech ecosystem, one rooted in advanced research, global food and retail influence, and a steadily growing pipeline of venture-backed startups. Long known for optics, imaging, and advanced manufacturing, the region is now leveraging those strengths to support the next generation of agricultural and food technology companies. From precision agricultur

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. — When Shelley Elkovich launched For Bitter For Worse  in early 2020, she wasn’t just introducing another beverage brand, she was reimagining what it means to raise a glass. Her company, now based in Rochester, makes complex, non-alcoholic cocktails designed for people who want to celebrate without compromise. For Elkovich, the story began with both passion and necessity. “I’ve always been the designated bartender in my friend group,” she said. “I love flavor,

ROCHESTER, N.Y.  — Flower City AI returned Wednesday for its third year, filling The Little Theatre with technologists, founders, educators, healthcare leaders and students for a full-day program focused on Rochester’s emergence as a growing hub for applied artificial intelligence. Unlike traditional industry conferences, Flower City AI is intentionally community-driven designed to bring together researchers, builders and local organizations shaping how AI is deployed acros

Rochester, NY - Brown and White Ventures is backing a biotech innovator, announcing November 25th a new investment in miRecule , a Maryland-based biopharmaceutical company developing antibody RNA therapeutics for rare neuromuscular diseases with limited treatment options. In miRecule, the venture capital fund invests in a biotech startup that applies genomic patient data to create highly tailored therapeutics designed to help patients live a life free from the debilitating s

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. — After three decades in the food and beverage industry, Rochester native Thomas Seymour is channeling his expertise into a new kind of coffee experience. As co-founder of Moka Energy, a startup launched in 2024, Seymour is on a mission to reinvent how consumers get their caffeine, by transforming the ritual of coffee into a portable, flavorful, and clean-label snack. For Seymour, coffee has always been personal. “I was introduced to coffee at a very young ag

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — The 2025 Grow-NY Business Competition awarded $3 million to seven emerging food and agriculture companies this week, naming Brooklyn-based Brekland the $1 million grand-prize winner. The awards were announced November 13 at the Grow-NY Summit, held this year on November 13th at the Lake House on Canandaigua, marking one of the region’s most anticipated showcases of agricultural innovation. The competition, now in its seventh year, is funded by Empire State

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Global Entrepreneurship Week Rochester, GRWROC , returns November. 18–21,2025 bringing together founders, investors, support organizations and business leaders for four days focused on innovation, collaboration and economic momentum across the region. Positioned as a region-wide celebration of entrepreneurship, the event highlights the people and programs shaping Rochester’s business landscape. Organizers emphasize that the week is designed to connect entrep