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. — 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 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.  — 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. — 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.  — 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. — 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. — 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. — 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