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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Three Rochester-area founders will represent the region on the global stage as finalists in the 2026 Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale , an international startup competition spotlighting emerging companies from around the world. The global finals take place March 4, with U.S. viewing times at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. CT). International broadcast times include 4 p.m. GMT and 9:30 p.m. IST, underscoring the event’s worldwide reach. Competing in the fina

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Upstate Venture Connect (UVC) is taking Upstate founders on the road this spring, launching a series of immersive roadshows designed to connect Upstate New York entrepreneurs with investors, customers, and corporate partners in some of the country’s most active innovation hubs. The nonprofit will lead curated delegations to Detroit (May 18–20), Boston (May 27–28), and New York City (June 2–4), aligning each trip with major tech and startup weeks in those ci

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — More than 20 Rochester-based startups will take the stage Feb. 19 at NextCorps for the local round of the Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale , a global competition that gives early- and growth-stage founders a shot at international exposure and a trip to the Startup Grind Global Conference in April. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. EST at NextCorps, 260 E. Main St., and will also be available virtually. Founders will compete across three categories Idea, Develop

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

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. — 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

September 19, 2025 ROCHESTER, NY  — At NextCorps on Thursday night, the room was electric as Startup Grind Rochester hosted a...

Startup Grind Rochester has opened applications for its 2025 All-Star Pitch Battle, inviting startups from across the region to compete for the chance to represent Rochester on a global stage at Startup Grind's National convention in San Fransisco.