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CONNECTED KNOW ROCHESTER
Tracking Innovation, Capital, and Corporate Growth in Rochester and Beyond
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What It Really Takes to Raise Capital: A Founder’s Guide Beyond the Pitch Deck
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
2 hours ago4 min read
HIGH GROWTH - STARTUPS - INNOVATION
What It Really Takes to Raise Capital: A Founder’s Guide Beyond the Pitch Deck
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
2 hours ago
Founder Spotlight: VerbaVista Founder Turns a Global Teaching Career Into an EdTech Startup Built in Rochester
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
3 days ago
From Sidelines to Big Business: How Youth Sports Became a $40B Economy, Rochester Is Deep in the Game
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The youth sports industry in the United States has evolved into one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the broader sports economy, fueled by rising household spending, name/image/likeness (NIL) the professionalization of youth athletics, and increasing interest from institutional investors. Once dominated by community leagues and seasonal play, youth sports today operates as a year-round, pay-to-play ecosystem that mirrors many aspects of profess
3 days ago
Buffalo Bills’ New Stadium Will Be One of the Most Tech-Forward Venues in the NFL
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When the new Highmark Stadium opens at the start of the 2026 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills will be playing in one of the most technologically advanced venues in the world. Now projected to cost more than $2.1 billion, the project combines advanced weather engineering, player-focused performance technology, and next-generation fan infrastructure positioning. For the Bills, a franchise defined by winter, the most visible feature is the stadium’s 360-degree c
4 days ago
PAY ATTENTION ROCHESTER - With CES Underway, NRF Next Week, and the World Economic Forum Later This Month, Global Conversations are Shaping What’s Next for Business.
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
Jan 8
Constellation Brands reports third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, outlines continued focus on brand-led growth
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
Jan 7
Understanding the Rochester Startup Incubators and Accelerators Powering Its Innovation Economy
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
Jan 6
Springboard NY Is Quietly Reshaping Rochester’s Innovation Ecosystem
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
Jan 4
Founder Insights: Pavan Kumar Tallavajhula Brings a Global Lens to Early-Stage Investing in Rochester
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
Jan 3
What Experienced Founders Know About Incubators, Accelerators, and Venture Studios
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
Jan 2
Rochester’s Quiet Advantage: Why One of America’s Oldest Menswear Cities Still Matters
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
Dec 22, 2025
Books, Business, and Better Conversations: Connected Know Launches Monthly Book Club With Serendipity Labs
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
Dec 16, 2025
Founder Spotlight: How Sage James Creative Is Helping Rochester Businesses Clarify Their Brand Online
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
Dec 15, 2025
Connected Know’s Guide to Coworking in Rochester for Startups and Small Businesses
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
Dec 14, 2025
Rochester’s Unexpected Role in the Future of Agriculture
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
Dec 13, 2025
Inside Rochester’s Boutique Fitness Industry And the Studios Leading It
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
Dec 11, 2025
This Rochester Founder Is Brewing a New Kind of Celebration - No Alcohol Required
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,
Dec 4, 2025
Flower City AI Summit Marks Third Year With Big Ideas, Regional Momentum
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
Dec 3, 2025
Rochester Based, Brown and White Ventures, Adds High-Growth Biotech miRecule to Portfolio, Betting on RNA Therapeutics for Rare Diseases
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
Nov 25, 2025
Rochester’s Tech Community Packs the Jackrabbit Club for TechRiseRoc Celebration
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
Nov 21, 2025
BREAKING NEWS - Rochester Tech Firm Quietly Builds the Future of Union Benefits, It Goes Live in 2026
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
Nov 20, 2025
The 2025 Rochester Startup and Small Business Holiday Gift Guide: The Hottest Local Companies
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
Nov 19, 2025
Founder Spotlight: This Rochester Founder Is Turning Coffee Into a Candy Bar and Shaking Up CPG
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
Nov 18, 2025
The Rise of Rochester Tech: The Fastest-Growing Companies You Should Know
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester has long been known for its legacy industries, research institutions, and engineering talent. But beneath that familiar narrative, a new storyline is emerging one defined by fast growth, modern technology, and the rise of companies that are scaling beyond the region without losing their local roots. From cloud software to fiber infrastructure to AI-driven services, Rochester’s tech ecosystem is accelerating in ways that are reshaping the local busi
Nov 16, 2025
$1M Breakthrough: Grow-NY 2025 Crowns New Ag-Tech Winners Driving Upstate’s Innovation Economy
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
Nov 15, 2025
From Rochester to the SEC: Constellation Brands’ Ruffino Prosecco Partners with Alabama Athletics
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
Nov 15, 2025
Rochester Prepares for Global Entrepreneurship Week, A Regional Showcase of Innovation and Growth
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
Nov 14, 2025
The Best Coffee Shops in Greater Rochester for Founder Work, Collaboration, and Getting Things Built
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s founder community doesn’t run on caffeine alone, but the right coffee shop can absolutely spark better ideas, smoother meetings, and the kind of chance encounters that make building a company here feel special. From indie cafés with personality to chain locations that function as unofficial co-working hubs, here are the region’s most founder-friendly spots to work, meet, build, and collaborate. This isn’t a ranking, just a curated guide to the p
Nov 13, 2025
One of Rochester’s Fastest-Growing “Startups” Is Actually a School
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
Nov 10, 2025
Rochester’s Public Powerhouses: How Publicly Traded Companies Are Fueling the Region’s Economic Momentum
Rochester remains a vital player in New York’s economic landscape. Not just through startups and research, but through established, market-listed enterprises that continue to anchor and employ thousands across the region.
Nov 4, 2025
Mapping New York’s Innovation Infrastructure: A Guide to the State’s Economic Development Categories
A Connected Know guide to New York’s innovation infrastructure—how accelerators, incubators, and research centers drive statewide economic growth.
Oct 31, 2025
Two Days of Innovation: New York State Innovation Summit Returns to Rochester
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
Oct 30, 2025
Could Alpha School Be Coming to Rochester? Local Families Are Exploring the Possibility of A.I. Education
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.
Oct 15, 2025
The Collaborative Entrepreneurship Incubator Launches in Western New York
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.
Oct 13, 2025
Books, Beans, and a Bit of Buzz: Bruno’s Opens in Brighton
Rochester, NY - Bruno’s Books & Beans is officially open for business, with a month-long grand opening celebration throughout October.
Oct 7, 2025
ManeConnect Wins 2025 Rochester Startup of the Year at Startup Grind Pitch Battle
September 19, 2025 ROCHESTER, NY — At NextCorps on Thursday night, the room was electric as Startup Grind Rochester hosted a...
Sep 19, 2025
As the Nation Approaches Its 250th Birthday, Rochester Startup TheirStory.io Tapped to Preserve Voices for America250
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
Sep 14, 2025
Rochester Events Open Call for Thought Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Experts to Speak
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sept. 12, 2025 Here are three upcoming events in Rochester, NY offering major opportunities for local experts to step up to the mic. Organizers are actively seeking speakers, workshop leaders, and panelists who can offer real-world insights, hard-won expertise, and tactical takeaways. Here are three organizations currently accepting speaker applications: 1. NXT Level Collective: Annual Women’s Retreat Date: November 5, 2025 Deadline to Apply: Rolling, earl
Sep 12, 2025
Rochester’s Angel Network: Inside the City’s Early-Stage Investment Ecosystem
Here’s a closer look at five key players in Rochester’s early-stage investment landscape and what founders and startup leaders need to know about them.
Sep 10, 2025
Three Rochester Startups Driving Innovation in 2025
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.
Sep 7, 2025
Call for Startups for Startup Grind Rochester's Pitch Battle September 18th
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.
Sep 6, 2025
Connected Know Launches to Spotlight Rochester’s Innovation Economy
“There’s no shortage of brilliant founders, researchers, operators and investors working across Rochester,” said the ConnectedKnow editorial team in a statement. “What’s missing is a consistent, credible place to tell those stories. That’s what ConnectedKnow is here to provide.”
Sep 4, 2025
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We are building a community of connected people in the know. CONNECTED KNOW was started to bring people together looking for innovative thought leadership, startup news and exclusive things to do in Rochester, NY.
Rochester, NY Startups, Innovation, Acquisitions & Venture News
ConnectedKnow Rochester tracks the full spectrum of business and innovation activity across the Greater Rochester region. From pre-seed funding and university spinouts to mergers, acquisitions, and strategic exits, we deliver credible, data-informed coverage of the companies, founders, investors, and institutions shaping the city’s economic future. Whether you’re following the next high-growth startup, a new commercialization effort from RIT or UofR, or a significant liquidity event—ConnectedKnow brings Rochester’s business momentum into focus.
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