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

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. — 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, 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. — In a move that blends innovation with impact, Envention LLC has partnered with Teamsters Local 118 to launch a next-generation Union Benefit Management System, scheduled to go live in January 2026. The system will replace decades-old legacy platforms with a secure, fully integrated solution designed specifically for the needs of union organizations and their members. It represents a major modernization step for Local 118, which serves thousands of workers

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

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

How the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship is rewriting the rules of business education and expanding into Buffalo ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In the world of startups, growth, agility, and purpose are the hallmarks of success. But one of Rochester’s fastest-growing “startups” isn’t a tech company or venture-backed firm it’s a business school that operates more like a modern accelerator than a traditional college. Founded in 2023 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom G

A Connected Know guide to New York’s innovation infrastructure—how accelerators, incubators, and research centers drive statewide economic growth.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For the first time since 2019, the New York State Innovation Summit returned to Rochester this week, bringing together more than 550 of the state’s brightest minds in technology, manufacturing, and research for two days of conversation, collaboration, and commercialization. Presented by FuzeHub in partnership with Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation (NYSTAR), the sixth annual summit reaffirmed New York’s role as a national

A groups are exploring bringing Alpha School to Rochester; a technology-driven, self-directed learning model that's already transforming education in cities like Austin, Miami, and New York City.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A new chapter in entrepreneurship begins in Western New York with the launch of the Collaborative Entrepreneurship Incubator, a first-of-its-kind initiative that rethinks how ventures are built, grown and led.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. —  As the United States nears its 250th anniversary, a Rochester-based startup is taking on a national role in preserving the stories that define America. TheirStory.io has been selected as the official oral history provider for America250 , the country’s multi-year commemoration of its semiquincentennial. TheirStory.io is a fast-growing oral history technology company headquartered in Rochester. Built to make storytelling more accessible, the platform allow

A new wave of startups is redefining what innovation looks like in Rochester. From artificial intelligence to wellness and elder care, three emerging companies in Rochester driving innovation.